Are Disney parks no longer for the Middle class?

Do you agree or not?
For families with only a few certain dates that they can travel, then I'd say yes. For people with flexibility I think it still is affordable, but I think Disney is going down a path that will make it hard for all middle class families to visit. At this moment, I'd say Disney has priced out a lot of middle class families from staying at deluxe resorts.
 
For families with only a few certain dates that they can travel, then I'd say yes. For people with flexibility I think it still is affordable, but I think Disney is going down a path that will make it hard for all middle class families to visit. At this moment, I'd say Disney has priced out a lot of middle class families from staying at deluxe resorts.

While I still believe a Disney vacation is a value compared to other options, I HIGHLY agree with the bolded section. Deluxe resort pricing is INSANE at this point. I'm sorry, $500 plus per night is just crazy for what you are getting. I remember when we would stay at the Wilderness Lodge on a regular basis. (Our favorite resort). Just a few years ago, an average room was $250 per night rack rate. Now it's closer to $400. That's just ludicrous considering that was the Poly standard rate for a long time.
 
It used to be that middle class could easily afford going to Disney in the 80‘s-90‘s.
Now they can still go but not as easily, it involves saving and planning the amount it costs is much higher in ratio to household income.
Now only upper Middleclass and up goes frequently and for the rest it is a one and done thing.
Of topic, I think the amount it costs is too high for what you get for the money. Elsewhere you can stay in luxurious hotels for 500$ a night
 


On top of how you define middle class, you need to define "Disney vacation" too.
Value resorts are on par with local hotels in my area, so they aren't outrageously priced. There is also the camping at WDW option, which is even less than a value (assuming you have an RV or tent). There are also tons of affordable options off site for lodging.
You can visit one park a day or you can add hoppers for more money.
Transportation is a separate cost and while people add it to their Disney vacation, those prices aren't set by Disney. Even so, there are options for that as well, fly, train or drive.
That is the nice thing about a Disney vacation, there are different price points, and different ways a middle class family can make it affordable for them.
If you want to stay GF club level for 2 weeks, have park hoppers and water parks plus do all parties and character meals a middle class family is going to have a hard time affording that.
However, staying at a Value for 5 days or even a week, skipping park hoppers, eating CS or even bringing your own food in can be very doable.
Each one is a Disney vacation.
 
The idea that WDW has previously been more affordable is ridiculous IMO. In my lifetime, going to a Disney park has always been considered an expensive endeavor. People are willing to pay way more money for vacations now than ever before. People with less money simply saved up their pennies to go, stayed elsewhere, ate as cheaply as they could, and enjoyed the stuff that came with the price of admission without all the extras. I remember when WDW opened - being so bummed that it was all the way in Florida because I couldn't imagine ever being able to go there.

The luxury aspect of WDW has gotten more and more popular, but even for travelers on a budget it is popular. Now air travel is not "elite." Going to WDW "someday" is not a pipe dream for most, but an achievable goal for middle class people who prioritize it. That said, I don't know ANYONE in real life who plans annual trips there - it's just too expensive.

Many, many people travel to WDW and stay off site to save money. We just don't talk about it here that much. My first trip to WDW I was already an adult and we didn't even CONSIDER staying onsite. We stayed at a budget hotel nearby, ate heartily at the breakfast that came with it, and had one counter service meal in the parks each day. We enjoyed every minute and felt privileged to be there. It never occurred to us that we'd missed out in any way not staying on property or eating at nicer restaurants. (In my town growing up, I was considered "upper middle class" because my family took vacations. I had many friends who had never flown, had never stayed at a hotel, etc.)

I would be willing to go to WDW more often (every few years maybe) IF we lived where we could drive there. Airfare is what makes it unaffordable for us to go often, not the price of admission. We wouldn't be paying for extras either - the entertainment included at the Disney parks is enough for us.

The notion of upgrading your vacation and paying for a better experience vs. seeking out reasonable deals that fit your budget isn't exactly a middle class notion IMO.
 
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For families with only a few certain dates that they can travel, then I'd say yes. For people with flexibility I think it still is affordable, but I think Disney is going down a path that will make it hard for all middle class families to visit. At this moment, I'd say Disney has priced out a lot of middle class families from staying at deluxe resorts.

We are VERY much stuck with specific times and I haven't noticed it dramatically impacting the cost, BUT we don't try to shoehorn our visits into Christmas or Spring Break. Having been to WDW at every time (except Xmas), I'm curious as to your further thoughts on timing.
 
We went to WDW for some family vacations when I was a kid in the 70s and 80s. We always stayed at the Poly. There were only 3 resorts then...Poly, Contemporary and Ft.Wilderness. There was only one park for a while, MK.

My parents both worked full time. They didn't have glamorous jobs. Dad worked for a newspaper and mom worked for the IRS. Somehow, they were able to afford Disney vacations. I'd say we were middle class, maybe a bit on the lower middle side.
 
I agree with folks who say you can still do Disney on a budget or you can go the more extravagant route - there are options. So, I think Disney is still on par with other vacations in terms of cost and is relatively still affordable. Also, like others said, some of it comes down to what you want to spend your money on. I drive a 2007 Honda Pilot....because not having a car payment means more money in my vacation/Disney fund. Obviously, the more people in your family then the more tickets you need and that adds up too. I guess each "middle class" family probably has a different idea of what's "affordable" or what is "worth it" to them.

For me, it is the airfare that makes Disney so much more costly for my family of 4. Like others have said, if I could easily drive there then we would go more often.
 
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Middle class could still go yearly, if they plan there life around Disney. Its a play ground for the wealthy (kids)
 
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For families with only a few certain dates that they can travel, then I'd say yes. For people with flexibility I think it still is affordable, but I think Disney is going down a path that will make it hard for all middle class families to visit. At this moment, I'd say Disney has priced out a lot of middle class families from staying at deluxe resorts.

All the best parts of the deluxe resorts, the fancy lobbies, the restaurants, and other things are available to everyone. The exception is the pools. But given that the water parks exist, I don't really miss the better pools. As for the rooms yes there a bit bigger but I use the room to sleep. I really wouldn't say the middle class is missing too much by not being able to stay in a deluxe. It's fine for those that want to. But it's not really necessary to have a great time. Even in Walt's time, he didn't have any plans for mods or values and hated the value hotels around Disneyland. So if anything, compared to way back when, there are middle class options that there really weren't back then.
 
When statistics point out constantly that 75% of American households don't even have $1,000 emergency savings, IMO majority of American's are priced out of Disney.

Nah.

People just don't prioritize saving.

Yep. Obviously there are many people for whom saving is almost impossible because they need every penny for living. However, there are also a LOT of people who don't have emergency savings because they spent it on things like going to Disney. Many don't figure "do I have an emergency fund in place?" into their "is it affordable?" calculations.
 
I think there is just so much more to spend your money on than there used to be.

When I was a kid, there was only Magic Kingdom. We'd drive down to Florida to visit my grandparents every other year or so, and we'd stop in Orlando for one day at MK. Mom would bring in a bag of sandwiches and we'd splurge on a few snacks, and that was it. We had our truck camper to sleep in at a gas station or K-Mart parking lot somewhere (most gas stations closed at night back then so they didn't mind if you parked there overnight).

We were totally middle class but anybody could afford one day of park tickets (entry plus the individual tickets to ride the rides back then), although I guess we were lucky we lived near enough to drive to Florida fairly easily.

I guess a couple of the resorts existed back then, but there were also plenty of cheap motels in the area, and no talk of the "bubble." The whole Disney campus wasn't the megalopolis it is now, with four parks, two water parks, Disney Springs, SO many restaurants and shops and character meals and princess makeovers and dessert parties and just SO many paid experiences and upgrades to consider. A family could still just drive to Florida, stay in a cheap motel on Irlo Bronson, and go to a park or two and have "been to" Disney, but that no longer feels like the full Disney experience. To get that it seems that you now need to drop at least several thousand dollars.
 
While I still believe a Disney vacation is a value compared to other options, I HIGHLY agree with the bolded section. Deluxe resort pricing is INSANE at this point. I'm sorry, $500 plus per night is just crazy for what you are getting. I remember when we would stay at the Wilderness Lodge on a regular basis. (Our favorite resort). Just a few years ago, an average room was $250 per night rack rate. Now it's closer to $400. That's just ludicrous considering that was the Poly standard rate for a long time.

I think at this point, all of their resort pricing is INSANE. We spent less on an all-suites hotel with free breakfast in Boston last year than we did on our last stay at a Disney moderate in the off-season with a discount. And that wasn't a fluke - we did it twice, on two different trips. We've also paid less in Chicago and DC, even though when I go to major cities I insist on staying in the city or very close because I despise urban driving in unfamiliar places. None were luxury accommodations, but all were a clear step above a motel-style Disney moderate (Embassy Suites or similar).
 
Just an example, we are at Disney now in between spring break and summer and are paying $489/night @ the Poly. I'm assuming during busier times these prices can get near $700/night?
 
We are a family of 4 on a middle class income. Growing up I went to WDW one time for just a day. When I got married we went there for just a day 2 times while we were visiting family down there. That’s all we could afford until 2007 when we saved for years to go there for 5 nights, value resort, dining plan and the Autotrain to get there. We haven’t had the money since to go back because we would want to go for more than just one day. Even the cost of transportation is too much let alone the park admission and meals.

Now that our kids are in college we just don’t feel the same excitement to get there as when the kids were little.
 
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Middle class and income really depend on where you live. Where I live $150,000/year does not allow one to live a financially wealthy lifestyle.
 
For families with only a few certain dates that they can travel, then I'd say yes. For people with flexibility I think it still is affordable, but I think Disney is going down a path that will make it hard for all middle class families to visit. At this moment, I'd say Disney has priced out a lot of middle class families from staying at deluxe resorts.

Absolutely, I always loved staying at the Beach Club/Yacht Club, but it's gotten to a ridiculous point now. So, whenever I decide to go again, it will be the Swan or Dolphin.

I want to comment on something else. I've seen a lot of posts saying that there are different types of Disney trips. For example, you can stay off property, bring in food, skip the park hopper, etc. I mean, you could say the same about NEARLY any vacation spot in the world. You can go to the Caribbean and stay at some bed & breakfast place off the beach. You can stop at the local supermarket and get some ham and make yourself ham sandwiches every day too. Is that a vacation though really? Not to me.

I think when people say the cost is getting insane it's for the standard Disney trip that includes staying at a nice Disney hotel, eating good food in the parks, getting a drink when you want it, adding the park hopper option, etc. That's what a vacation is.
 
Absolutely, I always loved staying at the Beach Club/Yacht Club, but it's gotten to a ridiculous point now. So, whenever I decide to go again, it will be the Swan or Dolphin.

I want to comment on something else. I've seen a lot of posts saying that there are different types of Disney trips. For example, you can stay off property, bring in food, skip the park hopper, etc. I mean, you could say the same about NEARLY any vacation spot in the world. You can go to the Caribbean and stay at some bed & breakfast place off the beach. You can stop at the local supermarket and get some ham and make yourself ham sandwiches every day too. Is that a vacation though really? Not to me.

I think when people say the cost is getting insane it's for the standard Disney trip that includes staying at a nice Disney hotel, eating good food in the parks, getting a drink when you want it, adding the park hopper option, etc. That's what a vacation is.

That is YOUR definition of a vacation, and it isn't wrong. However you don't really get to say how others define vacation for themselves.
 

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