Are Disney parks no longer for the Middle class?

Summer2018 said:
I agree. It takes me about two years to save up, sometimes three. When other expenses take priority, we put off our trip. I would love to go every year or even more often, but we like to stay at deluxe resorts, so we go less often. But when we go, we make the most of it.
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Exactly. I think its cool if someone wants to go on the cheap every year. Me, I would rather spend three years worth of cheap Disney vacations on one amazing one!
 
As others have said, it depends on how you define middle class. It is a phrase that is so overused as to be virtually meaningless in casual conversation - the single mom making $35K as a teacher thinks of herself as middle class and so does the dual-income college-educated couple making $235K, though they're obviously not at all in the same economic class.

If you are talking about the actual middle of the income scale, I'd say no. Using the quintile method (excluding the top and bottom 20% of households), the middle starts around $25K.... people in the $25-50K range aren't likely to be doing Disney, especially if they have kids - there are ways to economize, but there's really no way around the $2000 or so in tickets for a family of four. But if you use the buying-power or education/occupation definition of middle class, both of which put about 50-60% of households in lower classes, you get closer to the "middle class" that does travel to WDW.
 
old lady said:
Do you agree or not?
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I was just thinking about this the other day. Thought about heading down to WDW in mid-August for 3 nights. Found a really good rate at the Swan ($500 total for 3 nights including taxes). Then went to check the price for a 4 day park hopper and it was basically the same cost as my hotel. Then factor in flights, food, etc. And you're looking at $1,500 and that would have been just for me, a solo trip, for 4 days, 3 nights.

Sort of crazy!
 
Disney is expensive. Are there cheaper ways to do Disney? Yes, I think so. And I do think you can visit as a middle class family, just maybe not in the same way as someone with more funds could. That doesn’t mean it will be less fun. Disney was always a splurge for us when I was a kid. My family wasn’t wealthy when I was little and we drove down and did breakfast at Denny’s and ate sandwiches for lunch back at the hotel. I loved every minute.

Do I think there are cheaper vacations out there? Yes. Very much yes. But I do think middle class families can afford Disney, they just might have to save a little longer than they may have in previous years
 


Walt Disney World was always for the rich, from the day it open. I remember going through most of my childhood with yearly tinges of envy for my best friend, whose family would spend every summer in the Catskills and every Christmas week at Walt Disney World. It wasn't until the late 1980s that there was a light at the end of the tunnel for upper-middle class families, and wasn't until the mid 1990s that lower-middle class families like the family I grew up in could hope to afford even a single trip to Walt Disney World.
 
wgeo said:
I think just the phrase "middle class" is probably too vague. That is because my definition of middle class is people whose family income is between 40K and 75K a year. Perhaps I am wrong, but I don't see someone making 75K being able to afford multiple long vacations plus a few short ones every year, but people's experiences are always different I suppose.

As for Disney, I think that someone making between 40K and 75K a year can still afford Disney - maybe not in the same way that a lot of people on these boards do Disney, but they could still go and have a great trip.
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We make between 75-80k a year and we afford to do 2 weeks at Disney every year.

Now - we r just 2 adults and no kids. We eat, sleep, work, and go on vacation. A few other trips on weekends, or whatnot but other than that, we don’t do huge the rest of the year. We book as far out as we can and pay it off I. Cash - nothing on cc except for flights.

Don’t lump everyone in a certain income bracket together. There are tons of factors that apply differently to each family
 
Some families will feel the pinch more than others. family of six vs. family of three or four BUT

it's not all about what comes in (income), it's all about what goes out (expenses). We all have different priorities, wants, needs, etc. You can have a family of four with the same income and same # of kids and one will be able to afford it and one will not or will need to "save up" for it.
 


AnnaS said:
it's not all about what comes in (income), it's all about what goes out (expenses). We all have different priorities, wants, needs, etc. You can have a family of four with the same income and same # of kids and one will be able to afford it and one will not or will need to "save up" for it.
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Exactly. And circumstances can easily change. This year due to some things that have happened I have almost $600 more in expenses a month than I did last year. Gosh, just typing that makes me stressed. It has affected what I am spending on everything--food, pet supplies, clothes. And some things such as starbucks have been basically eliminated. It definitely is affecting how I am doing Disney this year, and if it wasn't for my sis booking everything and being more than gracious with how I pay her back, if I made a trip it would have been very bare bones.

Thank goodness I have an AP.
 
I like this calculator because it takes in location and household size. You really can't compare your salary to a family's salary if you have no kids. I wouldn't say they are no longer for the middle class, but it is definitely harder to get there on a middle class income. Last summer we stayed a week at the Swan - hotel, flights, tickets and food were $6000 total. We could not have done it without credit card points. We paid $1200 out of pocket, the rest on points. We have a small 1400 SF "starter" home we have been in for 20 years, older cars, etc. We are definitely not keeping up with the Jones either. Doesn't help that we have 2 in college. In a few years I keep telling DH we will be rich. lol Same salary, just hopefully the kids will have flown the nest.

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/09/06/are-you-in-the-american-middle-class/
 
Family of 6 here - including one in college and a nephew that we have custody of - we make about $130K/year and are in the lower end of the "Middle-Class" world around here. We have one credit card with about $900 on it, and a huge mortgage/tax bill, pay for our kids' "public school tuition" (about $2500 a year) and part of DS18's college tuition (about $6-8k a year). We don't buy fancy things, are strategic when buying branded clothing and shoes, and say no to our kids on a LOT of things. We budget about $2000 for a vacation every year, which means we drive, we use Hotwire for our hotels, and we research where are are going to eat and what we are going to do, for the best deals.

In our high cost of living area, if you are making a salary of $75K you would be priced out of our neighborhood unless you bought your house 25 years ago. If those same people were to try to buy their very own house TODAY, they wouldn't be able to. Our neighborhood is a mix of 19th century farmhouses, brick 1940-50's war housing, and a smattering of mid-century/70's dwellings, with apartment buildings dotted here and there. Fairly urban with houses close to each other and alleys to our detached garages...most homes have been added onto or recently been renovated or have been torn down and mammoth houses built in the original footprints that are selling for $750-$1 million dollars.

Spending $4000 at Disney on a whim like it seems some people think middle-class folks can do is a huge thing for us. We would have to stop paying DS's college tuition to even think about it.
 
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Were a middle class family with 2 kids and are also single income. (My wife has been out of the work force since our 2nd child, our son, was born 10 years ago).

We do Disney every year for 10-14 days ,staying on site. Hotel can vary, but we always have either free dining, or a huge discount, or whatever. The average cost can range between $3500 and $5500 for that length trip. Honestly, there is no where on this planet I can get that kind of a vacation and entertainment for that amount of time for less. Hell, 2 weeks at the Jersey shore will run me the same or more, lol.

Now, with that said, while I consider us middle class, I have a decent income. We eat out MAYBE once a month, drive two Honda's, and live in a moderate 4 bedroom home built in the late 60's that's nearly paid for. I work with others that earn what I do, drive German cars, live in a house 3x what mine cost, and they ask me how I can afford to "do Disney" every year for two weeks, lol. Go figure right?
 
amberpi said:
I'm just salty today and adjusting to a new med which causes dizziness, inability to operate machinery/drive, etc. which may have meant "don't Dis." The post wasn't a clear thought. I was really thinking of how WDW seems to only be catering to the middle class and making decisions that will offend no one like making all the hotels and restaurants so much more homogenous. I wasn't trying to be snotty; just annoyed because I feel like WDW went from having a really varied offering to less and less unique offerings. It's not even really dumbed down, it's just all the SAME. I think it was great when WDW had true budget (have you seen their rates at values?) options and luxury-ish options. Now it seems like WDW just wants to give you the same option at the same price; takes away some of the specialness of the resort overall for me:( But, their decision must be correct in the market as they have larger and larger crowds.

FTR, I'm very firmly in the white linen party, so I'm part of the problem for sure. If I was running for government office though I'd run on a pro white linen/anti-zombie ticket that would be unbeatable.

ETA: I basically feel like WDW has gone after that one middle class market and it's lead to overcrowding (some of the pics I see just seem so unsafe) and making the resort more generic. Sorry, I think I'm explaining this poorly.
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Yeah, the parks would definitely be better experienced without the middle class mucking up the works, it's like they don't know their place or something.

The same option at the same price? Fear not, the Disney winnowing machine has been at work for several years now demarcating the lines of distinction. Sadly the gauche demands of Wall Street insist that the plebeians be allowed within the gates with their pitiful pocketbooks. But forces are at work to allow the rightful denizens of Disney to be ushered inside the velvet ropes where the air is thick with pixie dust, lines do not exist and all who are rightfully entitled may dine with peace of mind that the tables before them will groan underneath the splendor of quail, branzino, waygu, foie gras and the like -- with nary a common fowl to besmirch their plates.
 
The parks are FULL of middle class folks, so clearly Disney has not hit the middle class price tipping point just yet. Until attendance drops expect more price hikes, more paid add ons, and less benefits to those who don't pay extra.
 
I’m glad Disney caters to the wealthy. I’d hate it if it attracted the Six Flags/Dorney Park/ Hershey Park crowd (listing theme parks in my area where I refuse to go.)
 
WVMomof3 said:
I like this calculator because it takes in location and household size. You really can't compare your salary to a family's salary if you have no kids. I wouldn't say they are no longer for the middle class, but it is definitely harder to get there on a middle class income. Last summer we stayed a week at the Swan - hotel, flights, tickets and food were $6000 total. We could not have done it without credit card points. We paid $1200 out of pocket, the rest on points. We have a small 1400 SF "starter" home we have been in for 20 years, older cars, etc. We are definitely not keeping up with the Jones either. Doesn't help that we have 2 in college. In a few years I keep telling DH we will be rich. lol Same salary, just hopefully the kids will have flown the nest.

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/09/06/are-you-in-the-american-middle-class/
Click to expand...
Great calculator. One income, which is significantly higher than what others feel is middle class, and we are in the 48%, so pretty solid middle class. Disney was a one and done for us, although I have been many times before having kids. We live very modestly.
 
I think if anything, they've become more for the middle class over the years. Walt himself never built a value or moderate resort and had no plans to at WDW. He in fact hated the affordable hotels that sprang up around Disneyland.
 
Based on that calculator we are in the "upper" income tier. I, personally, feel that we are closer to the middle tier.
 
Brett Wyman said:
Previous poster sums it up. Some middle class families can afford it because they don’t over spend. While others who try to keep up with the Jones are always too far behind to save up 4K for a week long Disney trip. Plus those who have to fly obviously have a much greater overall cost than those who can drive.
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I think that it is way more complicated than this.

I think that WDW is becoming a more expensive vacation than it was in previous years, but I also think that there is something for every price point. I do think that when folks determine that it may be too expensive there is a level of value added into the mix, so when one person says that they cannot afford a WDW vacation, what that person may mean is that they do not value the vacation enough to budget for the expense. Others may mean that if they cannot budget for a deluxe level they cannot justify the expense for a value, or offsite. For my family, what I can afford and what I will justify are two different things.
 
This will vary depending on a variety of factors. Where you live (and distance to a Disney park), cost of living there, number on your family and their ages, amount of extra money after bills are paid, etc.

While Disney has pricing at a variety of tiers that can accommodate many income levels, if you live too far away it's the transportation cost that can really bite you.
 
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