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

[sam_gordon]

I keep on hearing that there's something special about being able to stay in a bubble of "Disney Magic". However, I don't consider riding in buses all that magical.

Being in the "bubble" really has nothing to do with "Magic" (at least to me). Being in the "bubble" meant not having to worry about anything outside of that "bubble"... you don't need to worry about driving, you don't need to go somewhere else to eat, to be entertained, to relax, etc. With the advent of smart phones and tablets, it's easier to break the bubble while at WDW, but I used to like going to WDW, staying on site, and not worrying (not really the right word, but close) about anything... driving, news, work, etc.

 

[fly girl]

I wish I could have read the article, but I am not paying.

Anyway, as a Disney house we are grateful for our Military Salutes discounts. No doubt, if we didn't have those our WDW and DLR visits would be much more limited.

I can understand why people are moving away from going. Family vacation to Europe or WDW? And WDW has lost some of the fun (at least for us) with FP+. I do not like it at all. And the whole 6 months out for dining? Ugh, so crazy. And don't get me started on food quality. WDW's food quality has taken a nose dive in the last 5 years. We used to LOVE Food & Wine festival. Not anymore. It was abysmal when we went in 2017. And with huge crowds (Toy Story land was just a sea of people and last year) I can understand why families said, let's go somewhere else this year for the same price.

And I haven't been to WDW since December, but last time we were there it just felt like a sea of construction. Cranes, walls, fences everywhere! Yes, I am happy for new things. But it definitely isn't as magical during the improvement phase. My guess is some visitors are waiting it out until it is finished. I can understand that completely!


Now, with DLR and the whole SWGE debacle, I think that has many factors at play.
1. They blocked out all AP's except Signature
2. They stopped all hotel discounts
3. The ticket price for 1 day park hopper is a few dollars shy of $200. That is insanity!
4. The land was not completed (no headline attraction, ROR)
5. Batuu had no nostalgia factor. No one could relate. It's not like WWOHP, you can't immerse yourself in Batuu and feel like your favorite character. (Granted, I am not a huge SW fan, so maybe some can. But for most of us who like the originals, SWGE misses the mark.)

The 2 biggest factors for the lack of crowds with SWGE is no ROR, and AP black outs. It worked out fabulous for my family when we went early last month. But I can understand why people who cannot get discounted ticket prices aren't going to pay to get into SWGE without ROR. That's like going to Pandora with only having Navi. You can look around, but it is missing the headline attraction. What is the point? You aren't getting your monies worth. And the AP blackouts were huge. DLR isn't like WDW with visitors coming from afar. The bread and butter for DLR is AP's. Take those people out of the equation (and from what I have read DL AP's are close to 1 million people) and you have a park that looks empty. However, by no means did it ever feel empty when we were there. Ride times were definitely lower, but restaurants were busy.

Although I think pricing is a key factor, I think there is more at play with low attendance.

 

[cabanafrau]

I keep on hearing that there's something special about being able to stay in a bubble of "Disney Magic". However, I don't consider riding in buses all that magical.

There was a point where WDW was providing a truly Disney Magical experience and it was really quite a relaxing experience to detach from the everyday world and truly enjoy all the resort had to offer and never want to leave the bubble. It was very possible without buses if that's important to you. Sadly those days are years in the past now.

I've never stayed at a Disney hotel when visiting DLR. Our only multiple day visit involved coming and going via a hotel shuttle bus at times. We had a great time anyway.

 

[bcla]

For someone that lives rural and never has the opportunity to ride a city bus, it is fun for a few days. Definitely wouldn't want to do it daily, though!

It's just transportation. In my area there are many companies that operate company shuttles. It enables things like Google employees who want to live in San Francisco yet work in Silicon Valley. But these are more like large coach buses with WiFi and power outlets and not public transit buses.

 

[fly girl]

I think that TOT Guardians of the Galaxy remake is one of the best rides on either coast.

Agree. I was originally livid about them remaking ToT. Then I saw the ugly outside (I still think it is ugly) and really got furious. But when I rode it . . . I ate crow. Holy cow they did a great job! And I know nothing about GOTG movies and I still love it!

 

[CdnCarrie]

Being on a Disney message boards I'm surprised at how negative so many posters are regarding the parks.
We love Disney and still go every second year.
But we use Air Miles for passes, stay in a value resort and mostly eat QS so not priced out yet.

 

[BrianL]

Ahem...Disneyland IS the flagship park.

DLR *is* the flagship park.

I don't think Disney considers it such for marketing purposes at any rate. WDW is is pushed harder and Mk is the most visited theme park in the world.

Disneyland is great too - but I don't find it materially better than WDW. Some things it excels at - food and maintenance being high on that list, but some things are worse, like service. The rides I could compare and contrast all day, some are better at DL, some at WDW. It doesn't have to be a competition.

But if it is a competition, let me just say, which park has The Peoplemover?

 

[disneyseniors]

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.

LOL, don't worry, Kitty 34, I am in that age group and we went to WDW in those years too. We still go, and you don't have to be tech savvy to do it. We don't have smart phones. I have an old flip phone which is capable of receiving a room text notification. But I never take it to the parks, just don't want to be bothered. I am there to actually look at the parks and see all there is to see in person! I make my fp's and maybe one or two Adr's, but don't stay tied down to them. I don't look for more fp's on a device, but go to a kiosk if I really want one. No problem. So Yes, you can go and not be tech savvy

 

[RamblingMad]

I don't think Disney considers it such for marketing purposes at any rate. WDW is is pushed harder and Mk is the most visited theme park in the world.

Disneyland is great too - but I don't find it materially better than WDW. Some things it excels at - food and maintenance being high on that list, but some things are worse, like service. The rides I could compare and contrast all day, some are better at DL, some at WDW. It doesn't have to be a competition.

But if it is a competition, let me just say, which park has The Peoplemover?

Depends where you live. I’m out east now, and I get a ton of WDW adverts. When I was back west, I got a lot for DL.

What’s nice about DL is the overlay they do to the Haunted Mansion for Halloween. I also like Pirates better out west.

 

[okeydokey]

Being on a Disney message boards I'm surprised at how negative so many posters are regarding the parks.
We love Disney and still go every second year.
But we use Air Miles for passes, stay in a value resort and mostly eat QS so not priced out yet.

A lot of longtime posters remember how Disney used to be before you had to plan what rides you wanted months in advance. Honestly, the experience is so different now and at the current prices, it just isn't all that anymore. I would rather explore other places and have traveled to Sao Miguel this summer and have a trip to Iceland planned next month. IMO much better destinations for the same or less money.

 

[DLgal]

I don't think Disney considers it such for marketing purposes at any rate. WDW is is pushed harder and Mk is the most visited theme park in the world.

Disneyland is great too - but I don't find it materially better than WDW. Some things it excels at - food and maintenance being high on that list, but some things are worse, like service. The rides I could compare and contrast all day, some are better at DL, some at WDW. It doesn't have to be a competition.

But if it is a competition, let me just say, which park has The Peoplemover?

WDW is pushed harder in advertising on the east coast. I see some commercials for it, but only on national cable stations and ABC. I see far more Disneyland commercials, living in Southern CA. I also hear Disneyland commercials on the radio ALL the time.

And MK is the most visited park in the world because of its location. It's not because its "the best."

And, I am going to have to vehemently disagree that the service is better at WDW. That is just laughable. I visit WDW at least once a year for a week or more. I visit Disneyland weekly. There is no question that service is much, much better at DL overall.

 

[BrianL]

WDW is pushed harder in advertising on the east coast. I see some commercials for it, but only on national cable stations and ABC. I see far more Disneyland commercials, living in Southern CA. I also hear Disneyland commercials on the radio ALL the time.

And MK is the most visited park in the world because of its location. It's not because its "the best."

And, I am going to have to vehemently disagree that the service is better at WDW. That is just laughable. I visit WDW at least once a year for a week or more. I visit Disneyland weekly. There is no question that service is much, much better at DL overall.

Well, of course you see more commercials for DL in SoCal - that just makes sense. Worldwide however I think it's pretty clear that Disney pushes WDW as the crown jewel. This was not an argument about which is "better" - they are both great (Peoplemovers not withstanding of course)! DL is run completely differently, and it should be as it caters to a bit of a different audience.

Regarding service though - the CMs at DLR are generally more laid back, they are less "on" if that makes any sense. On a trip in April I took a friend who had never been to DL and he was astounded at how the CMs would have casual conversations in front of guests or not be very engaged, or sometimes be a bit brusque. They don't run a lot of things quite as well like crowd management. This is often discussed on the DL board, so I don't think I am alone in thinking that. Of course most CMs at both parks are absolutely wonderful, but the overall culture is a bit different.

 

[cabanafrau]

Being on a Disney message boards I'm surprised at how negative so many posters are regarding the parks.
We love Disney and still go every second year.
But we use Air Miles for passes, stay in a value resort and mostly eat QS so not priced out yet.

Have you visited DLR?

It wasn't pricing that deterred us from returning to WDW. The change in operational style, specifically the inability to tour spontaneously and truly take part in whatever attractions appeal in the moment and the lack of updating offerings and maintenance of the resort overall killed our interest in returning. Keeping tabs on the changes made since our last visit doesn't reveal anything that piques our interest to return. So far it seems DLR is keeping the spirit of Disney parks alive in the way that appeals to us, so that's where we'll head when we're ready for Disney in the future. At this point other destinations are far more appealing for us, so Disney will have to wait.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

Can you please teach us how to feed our family on less than $20 a day? I don't think I could feed myself for less than $20/day!

It's easy when you grew up poor: rice and beans, eggs, pancakes made from scratch, and lots of pasta and cheap sauce out of a jar, and a huge garden to supplement what you have to buy from the grocery store Feeding a family for next to nothing is easy in real life, it's harder on vacation. I am the queen of packing cheap food, sometimes we will take a whole suitcase full of food, and my kids are fine with it because we don't vacation for the food, we take vacations to spend time together and have unique experiences together.

 

[CdnCarrie]

A lot of longtime posters remember how Disney used to be before you had to plan what rides you wanted months in advance. Honestly, the experience is so different now and at the current prices, it just isn't all that anymore. I would rather explore other places and have traveled to Sao Miguel this summer and have a trip to Iceland planned next month. IMO much better destinations for the same or less money.

I went on a 2 week trip to Europe this summer. I sill like our Disney trips.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Have you visited DLR?

It wasn't pricing that deterred us from returning to WDW. The change in operational style, specifically the inability to tour spontaneously and truly take part in whatever attractions appeal in the moment and the lack of updating offerings and maintenance of the resort overall killed our interest in returning. Keeping tabs on the changes made since our last visit doesn't reveal anything that piques our interest to return. So far it seems DLR is keeping the spirit of Disney parks alive in the way that appeals to us, so that's where we'll head when we're ready for Disney in the future. At this point other destinations are far more appealing for us, so Disney will have to wait.

Yes 3 times. and plan on going next year. This year we did a European trip. We did WDW last year.

 

[RamblingMad]

I went on a 2 week trip to Europe this summer. I sill like our Disney trips.

I like Disney too. But at the end of the day, it’s a high end carnival. It’s cool to go to every couple of years.

As for price comparison, it’s now a lot higher than other alternatives. However, I know folks in the Midwest that only go to WDW. Everything else seems outside their comfort zone.

 

[Fldisneyfamily4321]

I know this is a Disney board, but this doesn't surprise me at all. I have actually been on the boards since the late 1990s although I didn't post much back then. From then through the early 2000's, I thought the parks were nice, they had new attractions, things were clean, the hotels, nice. Heck, even the food could be good at certain restaurants - this was all way before free dining.

For the record, I am currently 49.

Then, I didn't go tot he parks for several years, with the exception of a couple of day visits when visiting my MIL. However, I have been going for work to attend our annual partner meeting for the past few years and again in 10 days. We alternate between the Grand Floridian and the Yacht Club. All I can say is even though the company is paying, I am really not wowed by much anymore. Quite frankly, the Marriott in South Park in Charlotte has more comfortable and less dated rooms, in my opinion. Things just seem stale. I feel this way about the parks too.

We regularly go to Italy. My summer vacation there per night with fabulous food and wine was a fraction of the cost of going to Disney.

I know others continue to love it and go often. I am just explaining how I feel and I guess I can see how it may have lost it's luster for others too.

EXACTLY ! When I can go to Europe for half the cost I will travel internationally every time .. I am never again paying Disney prices for a theme park .

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

There was a point where WDW was providing a truly Disney Magical experience and it was really quite a relaxing experience to detach from the everyday world and truly enjoy all the resort had to offer and never want to leave the bubble. It was very possible without buses if that's important to you. Sadly those days are years in the past now.

I've never stayed at a Disney hotel when visiting DLR. Our only multiple day visit involved coming and going via a hotel shuttle bus at times. We had a great time anyway.

I agree. As to the " bubble" maybe in the past they could hide the fact that they want to take every penny you had and at that time I bought in. I think they were better at hiding it and I was better at "turning my head and trying not to notice."
Now they really do not try to hide it. I do not think it is "bubblicious" when they charge 19.00 for a plastic water bottle, 5.75 for a Mickey bar, 3.00 for a bottle of water or 129.00 for an after hours experience at Animal Kingdom when they have only 5 ride and one is closed and not inform you! As one exec said when referring to the parks and the rides,I wish I could remember for an attribution but I will I will paraphrase, 'I don't give a dm, as long as there is an a.. every 12 inches." Anyone know who that was ?

ETA: My friend works as a brand manager for a large hotel corporation and she said that one review or complaint is assigned to represent the opinion of 1000 customers in that case, this thread has 5,000 reviews and using that logic, this thread represents the opinions of 50, 000 people.

 

[L&Lfan]

I like Disney too. But at the end of the day, it’s a high end carnival. It’s cool to go to every couple of years.

As for price comparison, it’s now a lot higher than other alternatives. However, I know folks in the Midwest that only go to WDW. Everything else seems outside their comfort zone.

Not only in the Midwest. Plenty of folks in Nj go to Disney and nowhere else. Maybe a couple of visits to the beach during the summer, but for many I know it’s Disney every year.