Wow is this place getting $$$$$ or what?

[k5thbeatle]

Not really a report but just an observation or two from an old timer who has been visiting regularly since 1972. Decided to give WDW a "rest" for a few years after a Fall visit in 2014 and just recently got back from a stay.

Wow, how does any family with kids afford this place? Sure I know there are ways to go "on the cheap" and ways to save on costs without sacrificing experience (too much) but sheesh, a WDW trip/stay is getting crazy expensive.

Also I have read it here in many threads and must agree; the days of low crowds are gone. "Low" is now a relative term as I don't think there are any more truly slow times?

We had a fun trip for the most part.

 

[elaine amj]

I hear ya. I still love WDW but man, it's getting pricey! Costs have shot up since I started going 8 years ago. I can still get a deal, but it's definitely more expensive than it used to be.

 

[DLgal]

People with kids afford it because they make enough money to spend some on vacations. It's not rocket science.

Yeah it is getting pricey, but so is everything else.

 

[OddDisneyFan]

From what I recall reading, Disney has been pretty open about the fact that they will test the limits with pricing. As long as demand is strong, they’ll keep raising prices (and cutting amenities). Can’t even wake up in a Disney hotel room and glance at the clock anymore (because it’s gone), and food prices at most Disney eateries are crazy for what they serve.

Inflation has been rather low over the past few years, and it is for this reason that the escalation in Disney prices has been so noticeable. We started going almost 10 years ago, and the parks have been getting way more crowded the past 2-3 years. With the economy booming, that’s likely to continue.

 

[disneydeal]

I cut $$$$ by always getting free airfare with CC points so that's usually $800 savings for 2 right there.

 

[MossyCastle]

All vacations are getting expensive. Check out Universal prices... They are more than Disney.

 

[unwritten01]

Choose Contrafund...

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

All vacations are getting expensive. Check out Universal prices... They are more than Disney.

Yep! Our local amusement park (Cedar Point) is up to I think $75 per day....not including the "express pass" which is basically required to get anything done. We visit lots of other destinations besides WDW and they are all getting more expensive.

 

[k5thbeatle]

From what I recall reading, Disney has been pretty open about the fact that they will test the limits with pricing. As long as demand is strong, they’ll keep raising prices (and cutting amenities). Can’t even wake up in a Disney hotel room and glance at the clock anymore (because it’s gone), and food prices at most Disney eateries are crazy for what they serve.

Inflation has been rather low over the past few years, and it is for this reason that the escalation in Disney prices has been so noticeable. We started going almost 10 years ago, and the parks have been getting way more crowded the past 2-3 years. With the economy booming, that’s likely to continue.

Oh is that why our room had no clock? Lol, I thought perhaps they were repairing ours or something on our recent stay.

 

[OddDisneyFan]

Oh is that why our room had no clock? Lol, I thought perhaps they were repairing ours or something on our recent stay.

I first heard about clocks being removed 2 or 3 years ago from friends who had stayed at Pop Century and noted that the clocks had been removed there. Last year we stayed offsite, but this year at POR the clocks were gone.

 

[loves to dive]

All vacations are getting expensive so unless a family plans on pitching a tent somewhere they have to learn how to budget. I will say we have been going to WDW for about 34 years. When we started going my son was just shy of 3 and I was a single mom making ends meet as a secretary. We would go to WDW every other year because it would take me 2 years to save. We always stayed on site, back then the monorail resorts were the only game in town if you wanted to stay on site so that is where we stayed. For us, it was worth sharing Happy Meals and my son getting his jeans from J.C. Penney and his toys from the dollar store. I think it might be a littler easier now with the value resorts, we probably would have been able to go every year.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Oh is that why our room had no clock? Lol, I thought perhaps they were repairing ours or something on our recent stay.

The clocks were removed from all the rooms because Disney thought that most guests would rather get the time from their own phone than from a clock.

Many of us do miss the clocks though.

 

[OddDisneyFan]

The clocks were removed from all the rooms because Disney thought that most guests would rather get the time from their own phone than from a clock.

Many of us do miss the clocks though.

I’m sure that’s Disney’s official line, but I’m also sure they were removed as a cost saving measure. With no clocks, thousands of maintenance issues and replacement expenses disappear. If I prefer to look at my watch, or smartphone, I can still do that with a clock in the room. I have clocks in my house specifically because I don’t want to have to pull out my phone to see the time. Perhaps I’m one of the rare breed these days who does not sleep with a phone, but waking up and having to hunt for my phone to see the time is certainly not an improvement in the guest experience.

 

[Shanti]

Not really a report but just an observation or two from an old timer who has been visiting regularly since 1972. Decided to give WDW a "rest" for a few years after a Fall visit in 2014 and just recently got back from a stay.

Wow, how does any family with kids afford this place? Sure I know there are ways to go "on the cheap" and ways to save on costs without sacrificing experience (too much) but sheesh, a WDW trip/stay is getting crazy expensive.

Also I have read it here in many threads and must agree; the days of low crowds are gone. "Low" is now a relative term as I don't think there are any more truly slow times?

We had a fun trip for the most part.

Summer is the "slow" time of year now. And yep, it's pricey. Glad you had a good trip!

 

[Shanti]

All vacations are getting expensive. Check out Universal prices... They are more than Disney.

Not the resorts.