Prices... sigh.

[Minnie1222]

Maybe where you come from. But I value research. Plus, I follow folks on tiktok who visit the parks every day. So I see the rides and experiences. Like I said, I don't need to BE there to deduce that it's not a value for me.

Sure, why bother lighting a cigarette when you can learn everything from watching a TikToker smokes.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Thanks to the high prices of park tickets I keep on putting off my dream holiday to WDW. I was going in November, then December, now it looks like January/February time. I'm determined to go as I know I'll have a blast, but the cost is scary. I'm aiming for a week abroad.

Price breakdown:
Flights - £600
Hotel - £800
Park Tickets - £600 (that's cheap actually, as it is for a 14 day park hopper pass)
Transport - £250
Food - £250
TOTAL - £2,500

That's possibly over-estimating, but I err on the side of caution!

 

[Keladry84]

Thanks to the high prices of park tickets I keep on putting off my dream holiday to WDW. I was going in November, then December, now it looks like January/February time. I'm determined to go as I know I'll have a blast, but the cost is scary. I'm aiming for a week abroad.

Price breakdown:
Flights - £600
Hotel - £800
Park Tickets - £600 (that's cheap actually, as it is for a 14 day park hopper pass)
Transport - £250
Food - £250
TOTAL - £2,500

That's possibly over-estimating, but I err on the side of caution!

If you want a little bit of consolation - My week-long March trip from a domestic US location for 1 person is looking to be about the same-ish in price as yours - my airfare is sadly looking to be about the same from where I live for my travel dates. At least yours gets you a week abroad rather than traveling just domestically Even though once in Florida it's a similar experience, it just feels so much more bang for the buck if it's a trip abroad rather than just domestically.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Oh, I forgot to mention, an ADDITIONAL £200 for Universal tickets and even more if I go to Discovery Cove! And I'd like to go and see the Cirque du Soleil if it's running. That can be expensive too!

 

[Lord Manhammer]

Thanks to the high prices of park tickets I keep on putting off my dream holiday to WDW. I was going in November, then December, now it looks like January/February time. I'm determined to go as I know I'll have a blast, but the cost is scary. I'm aiming for a week abroad.

Price breakdown:
Flights - £600
Hotel - £800
Park Tickets - £600 (that's cheap actually, as it is for a 14 day park hopper pass)
Transport - £250
Food - £250
TOTAL - £2,500

That's possibly over-estimating, but I err on the side of caution!

What about just hopping over to DLP?

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

What about just hopping over to DLP?

I have thought about it, but it's not as luxurious. I have been before, and I must admit, it is magical, but 1 1/2 parks versus 4 Disney parks, 2 Universal parks, 1 SeaWorld parks, Discovery Cove, Disney Springs and WAY more attractions makes Florida just worth it.

 

[sipnride]

We had to cancel a Disney trip in 2021 so the cash value of our 2 day tickets- can't remember if they were hoppers or not ($550)- is on hold at Disney towards a future trip. To use those tickets now will cost $620 for 2 day base and $800 for 2 day hoppers. I had no idea prices would go up so quickly. We have been holding these tickets to offset a family trip that was supposed to happen NOW but won't happen until next year at the soonest, but JEEZ is my money losing value. I remember when Disney was pricey but there was value there. Now? Not so much anymore; I hate what Disney has become. (I know, private company, yadda yadda yadda- but still!)

What has it become that it wasn't before?

 

[Lord Manhammer]

I have thought about it, but it's not as luxurious. I have been before, and I must admit, it is magical, but 1 1/2 parks versus 4 Disney parks, 2 Universal parks, 1 SeaWorld parks, Discovery Cove, Disney Springs and WAY more attractions makes Florida just worth it.

That's fair, but then you then you have to deal with....Floridians.

 

[sk!mom]

I enjoyed WDW in my child rearing years. Now, it’s too hot, too crowded, and too expensive for me. I can go so many other places. Places that actually take so much less planning.

I was young when I was dashing across the park for fast passes. Then I didn’t really mind the advanced scheduling of Fastpasses. Scheduling 1 meal a day ahead was also fine with me.

Learning a whole new system. No thanks, I’m done.

PS. My current level of distaste for Florida isn’t a small consideration either.

 

[MsChristy12]

Of course it's the same thing. AMEX is trying to make their product ultra premium and Disney is trying to do the same thing. Sure, Disney was never cheap per se, but it wasn't what it is now. The Plat is worth it to me too because, like you, I utilise the benefits which outweigh the AF. But I feel like I'm getting something for my money. With Disney, as someone who has been going for the last 30+ years, I've seen such a drastic decline in value that it's becoming not worth it to me. You are absolutely correct that Disney understand nostalgia and exploit it. Cars DO use utilise platform sharing. I worked in the auto industry and always laughed when folks bought a Chevy Suburban with a Rolls Royce engine. But I also know that Porsche shares its platforms with VW and Audi, both companies I respect so it's not an issue for me.


Maybe where you come from. But I value research. Plus, I follow folks on tiktok who visit the parks every day. So I see the rides and experiences. Like I said, I don't need to BE there to deduce that it's not a value for me.

I don't know in what sense they are the same thing. One is a product that you apply to have so you can enjoy the benefits that comes with it, that's the objective of having the card. The other is a product that you pay to have an experience and entertainment, just like going to the movies. With Amex benefits, you can calculate the value, literally. We know how much these benefits are worth, down to how much the points are worth if we were to transfer them to hotels/airlines or use them for Amex travel. You can't do that with Disney because what you gain is experience and memories, how do you put a value on them? For each ride you go on, how much are they worth? The time you spend with family and friends having a great time, how much are those memories worth? The value on such experience is extremely subjective, and there's no right or wrong.

All I am saying is, you shouldn't say there's no value in it if you haven't experienced something in years while so many things have changed. A lot of us value research and I certainly do, but research never equals personal experience. Just because you see rides on tiktok everyday, you can say "oh I know those rides, it's not worth it", then what's the point of traveling anymore? All of us might as well just sit at home watch tiktok and YT everyday and we never have to buy a plane ticket! Damn that would save me so much money, I be rich!

 

[Smugpugmug]

Just because you see rides on tiktok everyday, you can say "oh I know those rides, it's not worth it", then what's the point of traveling anymore? All of us might as well just sit at home watch tiktok and YT everyday and we never have to buy a plane ticket! Damn that would save me so much money, I be rich!

Actually, because I've been on Soarin, I've been to all of the countries shown in the ride! But then I flew to Paris and was surprised that the Eiffel Tower didn't look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

All I am saying is, you shouldn't say there's no value in it if you haven't experienced something in years while so many things have changed. A lot of us value research and I certainly do, but research never equals personal experience. Just because you see rides on tiktok everyday, you can say "oh I know those rides, it's not worth it", then what's the point of traveling anymore? All of us might as well just sit at home watch tiktok and YT everyday and we never have to buy a plane ticket! Damn that would save me so much money, I be rich!

I think you're slightly missing my point. Like many here, I've been going to WDW for decades. And in those years, I've seen a degradation in the level of the experience for what you're paying and it's become much harder to actually go and enjoy the vacation because there is all this extra crap you have to do - lightning lanes, genie+, ADR's, reservations to enter the park, etc and then they've taken things away like magical express. It's easier and less stressful to go through customs than it is to go to WDW now. And I'm not just referring to rides but eh whole shebang, food, etc.
I miss the days when you had random characters running around, when everything was magical and spontaneous. I just don't see that anymore so for me, the value has been drastically reduced and I'd rather travel elsewhere. Of course I'm not suggesting that we all just never travel and just watch Tiktok, but travel is expensive and I like to make sure I'm going somewhere that I will likely enjoy.

 

[john7994]

I think you're slightly missing my point. Like many here, I've been going to WDW for decades. And in those years, I've seen a degradation in the level of the experience for what you're paying and it's become much harder to actually go and enjoy the vacation because there is all this extra crap you have to do - lightning lanes, genie+, ADR's, reservations to enter the park, etc and then they've taken things away like magical express. It's easier and less stressful to go through customs than it is to go to WDW now. And I'm not just referring to rides but eh whole shebang, food, etc.
I miss the days when you had random characters running around, when everything was magical and spontaneous. I just don't see that anymore so for me, the value has been drastically reduced and I'd rather travel elsewhere. Of course I'm not suggesting that we all just never travel and just watch Tiktok, but travel is expensive and I like to make sure I'm going somewhere that I will likely enjoy.

From a recent visit (two weeks ago), related to character interaction - watched a little in-crowd skit in galaxy’s Edge at WDW where a character was interacting with smaller children asking them to help hide her from storm troopers mingling in the area - it wasn’t 30 seconds and other crowd members started to invade the children’s space for pics/videos with the character - and pretty much ruined the moment - to the point where a handler had to intervene with the “adults” - bringing the point home - for me anyway - of why some things have likely changed these days …

Also saw this at UO Christmas Tour with the Grinch meet and greet back in November - where wannabe vloggers in our group pretty much tried to take over the the interaction with the Grinch … but he called them out in his sarcastic way for what they were doing and holding up some of the kids in our group from getting their time …

 

[Lord Manhammer]

From a recent visit (two weeks ago), related to character interaction - watched a little in-crowd skit in galaxy’s Edge at WDW where a character was interacting with smaller children asking them to help hide her from storm troopers mingling in the area - it wasn’t 30 seconds and other crowd members started to invade the children’s space for pics/videos with the character - and pretty much ruined the moment - to the point where a handler had to intervene with the “adults” - bringing the point home - for me anyway - of why some things have likely changed these days …

Also saw this at UO Christmas Tour with the Grinch meet and greet back in November - where wannabe vloggers in our group pretty much tried to take over the the interaction with the Grinch … but he called them out in his sarcastic way for what they were doing and holding up some of the kids in our group from getting their time …

*sigh* This is why we can't have nice things. And then there have been increasing reports of this kind of stupid nonsense happening at the World. I mean, seriously, people spend all that money and then act like fools?

 

[focusondisney]

*sigh* This is why we can't have nice things. And then there have been increasing reports of this kind of stupid nonsense happening at the World. I mean, seriously, people spend all that money and then act like fools?

FYI that’s from July 2022.

 

[Minnie1222]

I miss the days when you had random characters running around, when everything was magical and spontaneous.

This is not to convince you to go to Disney or anything, but random characters are still walking around.

The place is still magical and spontaneous, or spontaneously magical.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

This is not to convince you to go to Disney or anything, but random characters are still walking around.
View attachment 826129
The place is still magical and spontaneous, or spontaneously magical.

My favourite Disney memory actually comes from Disneyland Paris. It was a crisp morning, hardly anyone in the park, and I remember seeing Minnie Mouse skipping through the castle Very magical!

 

[Lord Manhammer]

This is not to convince you to go to Disney or anything, but random characters are still walking around.
View attachment 826129
The place is still magical and spontaneous, or spontaneously magical.

Thanks, that gives me a little hope. Like I said, I'm going soon so maybe the trip will change my mind. I hope so.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

FYI that’s from July 2022.

Yeah, I noticed that. But these things are still happening I guess. People are dumb.

 

[cabanafrau]

You can't do that with Disney because what you gain is experience and memories, how do you put a value on them? For each ride you go on, how much are they worth? The time you spend with family and friends having a great time, how much are those memories worth? The value on such experience is extremely subjective, and there's no right or wrong.

All I am saying is, you shouldn't say there's no value in it if you haven't experienced something in years while so many things have changed. A lot of us value research and I certainly do, but research never equals personal experience. Just because you see rides on tiktok everyday, you can say "oh I know those rides, it's not worth it", then what's the point of traveling anymore? All of us might as well just sit at home watch tiktok and YT everyday and we never have to buy a plane ticket! Damn that would save me so much money, I be rich!

Disney isn't the only place to gain experience and memories, at least IMO. Don't get me wrong, we have many fond memories of Disney, but we've never considered it the only place we can enjoy and make memories.

What Disney did offer was a convenient collection of enjoyable pastimes we could reliably count on by simply booking the trip, making our travel arrangements, arriving, dropping our bags, and leaving responsibilities and most deep thoughts and planning behind. There was something for all of us, with most of us generally enjoying the majority of what we did. When crowds bumped way up and attraction capacity was overall stagnant and the company response was centered around a gatekeeping approach our enjoyment dropped. We stopped visiting and kept an eye on changes. When they doubled down on the gatekeeping strategy and added a pay system and made it more onerous on the visitors we realized we didn't need to visit to try it out because the system was simply not a fit for what we wanted out of a Disney trip.

It doesn't help us want to return knowing that they've been gutting another favorite part of our visits their for years now and are currently driving the last nails into the coffin. For us nothing was better than dragging ourselves off the monorail at the end of the night and walking from the TTC back to the serenity of the Poly pathways with their tiki torches lighting the way through the lush green pathways. I'm sure many more will now experience the resort. I wonder how many will be able to close their eyes years later and recall how wonderful the breezes were, how the gardens smelled and how the peacefulness swept away all of the day's noise and overstimulation in an instant? I can't see any way all the recent years' changes and growth make that experience possible again. Hopefully those that do visit find their own magic, even if I cannot envision anything I'd be satisfied with myself.

It wasn't about the idea it's possible to look up attractions on Tik Tok or whatever instead of visiting, not at all. Honestly, tossing that comment out there is a bit demeaning and mischaracterizes a different opinion from yours for reasons that elude me. I don't understand why it's so offensive to say it's not for us anymore? That is in no way a judgment on the huge numbers of people who do visit and do enjoy it. It doesn't bother Disney that we don't enjoy it or intend to visit anymore. The parks are going to continue whether we visit or not, I'm under zero illusion about that.