Are Disney parks no longer for the Middle class?

[RamblingMad]

I have to agree that DISNEY is pricing itself out of the lower and middle range of the middle class. My last cash trip 2011 to WDW with 3 room 7 adults magic your way and dining plan at Coronado was over 10K. It convinced us that we needed DVC.

When I see Disney charging for parking on top of room rates for guests staying at resorts, rising tickets prices, food costs, I have to ask myself as a Disney stockholder how are families going to be able to afford. When I express our love of MOST things Disney the feed back that we get is exactly that how expensive it is.

It all seem counter to Walt's original dream when he built Disneyland.

My 2 cents

Walt had a public and private face. I’m really not sure what he wanted since I’ve only ever seen his public friendly face.

 

[siren0119]

A family can still save for Disney. But I’d argue it’s a lot harder these days.

LOL I'm not sure but I hope you realize that I've completely agreed with you in my responses - tone is so hard to tell online!

 

[RamblingMad]

LOL I'm not sure but I hope you realize that I've completely agreed with you in my responses - tone is so hard to tell online!

I’m cheap. Having worked through two recessions, I wear a tin foil hat to keep the next recession at bay. I just canceled my SlingTV because it went up $10. I was using it to watch La Liga. And I was paying $30. I’m not paying $10 a match to watch Barca.

Really, I’m stunned by how much WDW vacations cost. And I’ve seen so many breakdowns in the parks that they’re not as magical as when I was a kid that didn’t pay attention.

I do want to ride RotR. But I’ll do it at DL and stay at a hotel off property.

 

[Colleen27]

I do agree prices have risen fast. Unfortunately that's not just Disney. That is pretty much everywhere on everything.

I don't think that's really true. I see it with Disney, and I see it with concert tickets. Not a whole lot else in terms of entertainment/travel. We did a huge summer road trip from Michigan to California and never paid more than $110/night for a hotel (that being at Disneyland); I remember paying that much for similar accommodations on road trips in my teen years. And airfare, if you know how to bargain hunt, is a lot cheaper than it was a generation ago. It was the largest single expense of my high school graduation trip to Disney World, at over $300 per person round trip. I've never paid more than $200pp r/t to Orlando (the best I've done was $60!) as an adult and didn't break $300 to fly to California and back for our last Disneyland trip.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I don't think that's really true. I see it with Disney, and I see it with concert tickets. Not a whole lot else in terms of entertainment/travel. We did a huge summer road trip from Michigan to California and never paid more than $110/night for a hotel (that being at Disneyland); I remember paying that much for similar accommodations on road trips in my teen years. And airfare, if you know how to bargain hunt, is a lot cheaper than it was a generation ago. It was the largest single expense of my high school graduation trip to Disney World, at over $300 per person round trip. I've never paid more than $200pp r/t to Orlando (the best I've done was $60!) as an adult and didn't break $300 to fly to California and back for our last Disneyland trip.

I've found airfare to be hard to compare between people because so much of it depends on one's home market and economic situations of the nation (and world to an extent) at that time; for instance the MAX 8 issue at the moment. That said I would agree that overtime airfare has likely gone down overall than years ago.

 

[Lauraguil]

Disney World can be expensive but if you research you can do it. There are so many websites with money saving tips including this one and Pinterest. Save your money, my husband and I have an account just for vacations. when we get enough we plan a trip. Save your change in a jar, cut out fast food.. put the chips back and throw 3.50 in your jar, Quit Starbucks and having your nails done...….

There are money saving tips at the park. Look for deals, skip maid service and get the gift card it will pay for a meal. Take food and drinks to the park. you don't have to buy stuff there. Skip the sit down restaurants and order from the kids menu. You can get free glasses of water at any counter service restaurant. You don't have to do all 4 days. The value resorts aren't' all that much if you look for deals.
People will pay hundreds for concerts and movies and sporting events that last a few hours. To get in the park is expensive but it is 12+ hours and so much more to do and see.

The worst part for me is the airfare. American Airlines is over 400 a ticket someetimes. Im going to have to start driving.

 

[luvsJack]

Disney World can be expensive but if you research you can do it. There are so many websites with money saving tips including this one and Pinterest. Save your money, my husband and I have an account just for vacations. when we get enough we plan a trip. Save your change in a jar, cut out fast food.. put the chips back and throw 3.50 in your jar, Quit Starbucks and having your nails done...….

There are money saving tips at the park. Look for deals, skip maid service and get the gift card it will pay for a meal. Take food and drinks to the park. you don't have to buy stuff there. Skip the sit down restaurants and order from the kids menu. You can get free glasses of water at any counter service restaurant. You don't have to do all 4 days. The value resorts aren't' all that much if you look for deals.
People will pay hundreds for concerts and movies and sporting events that last a few hours. To get in the park is expensive but it is 12+ hours and so much more to do and see.

The worst part for me is the airfare. American Airlines is over 400 a ticket someetimes. Im going to have to start driving.

For me, and I am sure for many others, if I have to take my food in the parks and not have a clean room in the already expensive per night hotel; I would rather not go. That isn't a vacation, for me. When I am on vacation, I want to take a break from even making a sandwich for the week.

I can take some really nice vacations and still run through the drive thru when I need to or grab a Starbucks now and then. Or have my hair done or a pedicure. Most people really do not want to stop living their life to pay for one week a year. A week at Disney isn't worth giving up all the niceties of life, FOR ME. And if a person is having to nickel and dime their life to death to save for Disney, is it really affordable??

I can go to movies every week and still have not spent "hundreds". But its pay to get in, watch the movie and go home. No dining or hotel room required. Same with sporting events and concerts. So not really apples to apples there when comparing those tickets to the price of getting in WDW.

 

[RamblingMad]

Disney World can be expensive but if you research you can do it. There are so many websites with money saving tips including this one and Pinterest. Save your money, my husband and I have an account just for vacations. when we get enough we plan a trip. Save your change in a jar, cut out fast food.. put the chips back and throw 3.50 in your jar, Quit Starbucks and having your nails done...….

There are money saving tips at the park. Look for deals, skip maid service and get the gift card it will pay for a meal. Take food and drinks to the park. you don't have to buy stuff there. Skip the sit down restaurants and order from the kids menu. You can get free glasses of water at any counter service restaurant. You don't have to do all 4 days. The value resorts aren't' all that much if you look for deals.
People will pay hundreds for concerts and movies and sporting events that last a few hours. To get in the park is expensive but it is 12+ hours and so much more to do and see.

The worst part for me is the airfare. American Airlines is over 400 a ticket someetimes. Im going to have to start driving.

Stop buying clothes. Turn off the heat and use warm blankets. Shower once a week to save on water. Shave your head to save on haircuts. Drink water and fast two days a week. Are you seeing where this is going? It’s insane. It’s just too expensive right now for the median income family. And I’m expecting prices to go up again this year.

 

[Searc]

For me, and I am sure for many others, if I have to take my food in the parks and not have a clean room in the already expensive per night hotel; I would rather not go. That isn't a vacation, for me. When I am on vacation, I want to take a break from even making a sandwich for the week.

I can take some really nice vacations and still run through the drive thru when I need to or grab a Starbucks now and then. Or have my hair done or a pedicure. Most people really do not want to stop living their life to pay for one week a year. A week at Disney isn't worth giving up all the niceties of life, FOR ME. And if a person is having to nickel and dime their life to death to save for Disney, is it really affordable??

I can go to movies every week and still have not spent "hundreds". But its pay to get in, watch the movie and go home. No dining or hotel room required. Same with sporting events and concerts. So not really apples to apples there when comparing those tickets to the price of getting in WDW.

I agree with everything you said, but especially the bolded. I'm not going to live like a pauper 358 days a year just to enjoy 7. Nope.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

I can go to movies every week and still have not spent "hundreds". But its pay to get in, watch the movie and go home. No dining or hotel room required. Same with sporting events and concerts. So not really apples to apples there when comparing those tickets to the price of getting in WDW.

The thing is it adds up. I know plenty of people who carry a starbucks cup in every morning, go out for every lunch, out to bars on weekends, concerts/sporting events frequently... and then they "must be nice" when we talk about going on vacation.

Finding $10/day of fluff is not hard in most people's budgets. If they'd rather have those things instead of a vacation that's their choice but most people don't realize what they could actually afford with some thoughtful budgeting.

 

[dclpluto]

This is what I do. I’m a dvc member there is no way I’m paying them high park prices. So I get a dvc gold annual pass and go about three times during that year. Than I take about a year and a half off this time it’s going to be longer. Than I do it all over again. Lots of people don’t like it the way I do it because you don’t go every year. But this is how I do it and what we like to save $$$$.

 

[Searc]

This is what I do. I’m a dvc member there is no way I’m paying them high park prices. So I get a dvc gold annual pass and go about three times during that year. Than I take about a year and a half off this time it’s going to be longer. Than I do it all over again. Lots of people don’t like it the way I do it because you don’t go every year. But this is how I do it and what we like to save $$$$.

Yeah, but you can't disregard the cost of DVC, like most people do when talking about it. "Oh, we're DVC, so we can go cheap!' Yeah, no.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yeah, but you can't disregard the cost of DVC, like most people do when talking about it. "Oh, we're DVC, so we can go cheap!' Yeah, no.

Agreed. I've perused the DVC Boards from time to time and the going advice is that DVC is simply about pre-paying (and in bulk) your future vacations. You're banking that the costs over time will exceed one's investment at the time of buying into DVC and by investment I just mean the upfront cost and yearly dues not that you're investing in DVC itself in the financial management aspect.

Also financing said DVC is considered a hot bed topic there too.

DVC is typically good for a certain segment of Disney parkgoers but I would honestly say that when we're talking about this topic it's probably not applicable to the majority especially given that DVC has in the last few years restricted quite a lot in the resale department and in the direct sale forced higher point requirements and restrictions.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

This is what I do. I’m a dvc member there is no way I’m paying them high park prices. So I get a dvc gold annual pass and go about three times during that year. Than I take about a year and a half off this time it’s going to be longer. Than I do it all over again. Lots of people don’t like it the way I do it because you don’t go every year. But this is how I do it and what we like to save $$$$.

I totally get where you're coming from but I also think what I mentioned to the above poster applies too.

 

[RamblingMad]

The thing is it adds up. I know plenty of people who carry a starbucks cup in every morning, go out for every lunch, out to bars on weekends, concerts/sporting events frequently... and then they "must be nice" when we talk about going on vacation.

Finding $10/day of fluff is not hard in most people's budgets. If they'd rather have those things instead of a vacation that's their choice but most people don't realize what they could actually afford with some thoughtful budgeting.

I spend about $10 a day for lunch. That adds up $2400 a year. I can bring food from home to eat for lunch, but that doesn’t get me back $2400. I can get back roughly half that amount. So I can get some savings.

However, I completely disagree with the DVC route. First, I don’t want to go to Disney every year or even every other year. Second, I prefer DL to WDW. Finally, those maintenance fees costs about half what I spend on vacation anyway. I don’t see the savings. And I really don’t want to stay in the equivalent of a poorly maintained extended living hotel.

 

[Planogirl]

I agree with so many of the comments here. One week of vacation isn't more important than a year of small treats to me. I rarely get Starbucks or see a movie but when I do I don't want to feel bad about enjoying something.

Savings are good but medical bills and car or home repairs can take that away. It's a crap shoot.

 

[luvsJack]

The thing is it adds up. I know plenty of people who carry a starbucks cup in every morning, go out for every lunch, out to bars on weekends, concerts/sporting events frequently... and then they "must be nice" when we talk about going on vacation.

Finding $10/day of fluff is not hard in most people's budgets. If they'd rather have those things instead of a vacation that's their choice but most people don't realize what they could actually afford with some thoughtful budgeting.

Sure it does. But I am talking specifically about affording Disney. Not talking about spending willy nilly and then can't afford to go on any vacation.

 

[dclpluto]

Stop buying clothes. Turn off the heat and use warm blankets. Shower once a week to save on water. Shave your head to save on haircuts. Drink water and fast two days a week. Are you seeing where this is going? It’s insane. It’s just too expensive right now for the median income family. And I’m expecting prices to go up again this year.

Yes prices go up every year.

 

[RamblingMad]

Yes prices go up every year.

The next step would be to send the kids to school in potato sack clothing to save money. Eventually attendance will drop.

 

[Lauraguil]

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.

For me, and I am sure for many others, if I have to take my food in the parks and not have a clean room in the already expensive per night hotel; I would rather not go. That isn't a vacation, for me. When I am on vacation, I want to take a break from even making a sandwich for the week.

I can take some really nice vacations and still run through the drive thru when I need to or grab a Starbucks now and then. Or have my hair done or a pedicure. Most people really do not want to stop living their life to pay for one week a year. A week at Disney isn't worth giving up all the niceties of life, FOR ME. And if a person is having to nickel and dime their life to death to save for Disney, is it really affordable??

I can go to movies every week and still have not spent "hundreds". But its pay to get in, watch the movie and go home. No dining or hotel room required. Same with sporting events and concerts. So not really apples to apples there when comparing those tickets to the price of getting in WDW.

Too each his own I guess. Its worth it to me to save throughout the year and have a fun vacation but if it isn't to other people then its no skin off my back.