Is your trip price tag hemorrhaging and you can't stop the bleed?

[DisneyRunner2009]

Sometimes I feel this way. You switch from a one park per day ticket to fewer days with park hopper and it costs more. Add Boo Bash or the Christmas Party to your trip. Switch resorts because they just opened the last few. My DH comments about having Disney on retainer. It's getting so expensive. As Pete says, here's a mortgage application.

 

[sponica]

Eh I just went with the most expensive option to start with

 

[Upatnoon]

Just ignore them. You don't need to do any extras to have a great Disney vacation.

These upsell add-ons are a classic way for companies to increase profits by selling items that cost nothing or little to produce.

These upsell and aspirational strategies are everywhere these days and not going anywhere.

 

[The Foolish Mortal]

Its pretty evident now that Disney wants fewer guests that will send more money. Yuo're not the first nor the last that is going to feel this way. Its just a new fact of disney life we have to accept if we want to keep going there

 

[sfbank]

Agreed. I was rearranging our budget to make sure I could save enough to get a VIP tour for a day in Oct 2022 once it was announced Rise was included (looks like that is no longer the case anyway). Now I have decided to try to talk DH into starting our smaller twice a year trips in February instead of waiting until after our Food and Wine Oct 22 trip with DD. I figure I can use the VIP tour money towards the room in February right? I miss Disney and just want to be there on the Boardwalk and on the EPCOT stroll.

 

[focusondisney]

Eh I just went with the most expensive option to start with

Right there with you!

 

[OThopeful35]

I started at Pop for 10 nights to 2 days at Pop and 8 at Beach Club lagoon view...now I am looking at those Moana rooms at Poly for those first 2 nights

 

[AdamsMum]

Sometimes I feel that way too, but each year I keep giving them more money while grumbling to myself about the price. There's no solution. In a way DVC saves me money on the room (I bought many years ago, when you didn't have to sell your first born to afford it), but then I give myself permission to splurge on dining, shopping and last time a tour.

 

[Eastern]

I have been staying at deluxe but if the outrageous pricing continues in the long term (I realize there is pent up demand along with 50th anniv) I will book mod or stay offsite. I don't find this hard to do.

 

[rick1zoo2]

are you saying that the goal isn't to try to spend the most money possible for each trip? Hmmm, maybe I need to rethink things....

 

[shh]

I can relate - so many tempting perks for the offering - especially when you're on the DIS forum a lot. It's easy to get caught up in the hype and excitement as posters talk about all the "must-have" experiences and things they're adding, all the while proclaiming YOLO!

As for me, I folded back in 2018-2019 after they started charging for parking, room rates skyrocketed, nightime hours were cut, etc. We've been blessed to visit WDW so many times and have great memories. Disney was never "cheap", but I just can't pay what they're demanding, when I think about how much more value we got for our money just a few years ago. I decided I'd be far happier seeing my bank account grow than overpaying at House of Mouse.

We not only stopped the bleeding - but the patient is thriving! I may buy a single night MK party tic while I'm in town visiting Universal and Sea World, but that's probably about it. So many other wonderful places to vacation.

 

[txcorey]

We originally booked 6 nights at POP in August. After messing around online I discovered I could upgrade to CSR for 4 nights for an extra $200. Since it's summer I figure we may want to hang out at the resort during the hottest part of the day so I didn't mind the extra expense. Looking at the prices of the deluxe hotels I'm not sure if I could ever justify that cost, especially since it's usually just me and my son on a trip. My husband isn't a Disney fan...

 

[sponica]

Right there with you!

I view it as my reward for *waves hands at everything*

 

[empedocles]

See also: https://www.disboards.com/threads/i-am-part-of-the-problem-with-high-resort-rates.3843945/

 

[jthornton94]

Not really. I don’t fall for all the extras. We have access to military tickets and military room discounts. We usually have one splurge a trip, this time it’s the Food and Wine fest. I have stayed at all hotels levels and just don’t see the need for a fancy resort as when we go we spend all our time in the park. That’s what I like about Disney, they have options to fit most needs.

I went to Sea World recently and even though our admission was free I don’t think I’d go back!

 

[DisLiss]

Yes, and it's depressing given that we are planning the exact same trip for 2022 that we had planned for 2020, including being the exact same calendar week, and yet the cost is increasing before our eyes all of the time. From big things, like losing great deals we had in 2020 to little things like magic bands going from free to $5 to $10.

We also had one of our kids transition to a legal adult in that time, so we have to pay more for them now. And all other Disney prices have increased as well as increases in transportation. Heck, even the pre-trip shopping we'll do will probably cost us more now!

So, yeah, I'm expecting to pay at the very least $2000 more for this trip than we would have paid in 2020 unless deals pop up before we go. And I think the increase for the same trip may even be more than that. Which is why we didn't want to go during the COVID changes. Having to pay so much more for so much less just didn't appeal to us at all.

 

[Sue M]

I have been staying at deluxe but if the outrageous pricing continues in the long term (I realize there is pent up demand along with 50th anniv) I will book mod or stay offsite. I don't find this hard to do.

Me too. I won’t pay for a deluxe anymore. The price increase is ridiculous. We’re staying at a moderate in Aug. And I feel gouged there. After DME ends I’ll have no problem staying at one of the Disney Springs resorts.

 

[Sue M]

Yes, and it's depressing given that we are planning the exact same trip for 2022 that we had planned for 2020, including being the exact same calendar week, and yet the cost is increasing before our eyes all of the time. From big things, like losing great deals we had in 2020 to little things like magic bands going from free to $5 to $10.

We also had one of our kids transition to a legal adult in that time, so we have to pay more for them now. And all other Disney prices have increased as well as increases in transportation. Heck, even the pre-trip shopping we'll do will probably cost us more now!

So, yeah, I'm expecting to pay at the very least $2000 more for this trip than we would have paid in 2020 unless deals pop up before we go. And I think the increase for the same trip may even be more than that. Which is why we didn't want to go during the COVID changes. Having to pay so much more for so much less just didn't appeal to us at all.

The new Disney model, charge more, give less It’s been going on for a few years now. From little things people may not notice like cutting portion size, cutting park hours to put in paid events, increasing room rates several times a year, to the more obvious ones like huge ticket increases, room rates and paid parking.

So Universal is getting more of my business now and WDW less.

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

Not really. I don’t fall for all the extras. We have access to military tickets and military room discounts. We usually have one splurge a trip, this time it’s the Food and Wine fest. I have stayed at all hotels levels and just don’t see the need for a fancy resort as when we go we spend all our time in the park. That’s what I like about Disney, they have options to fit most needs.

I went to Sea World recently and even though our admission was free I don’t think I’d go back!

Thankfully, we also take advantage of the military discounts and that helps take the sting out of the rates. Using free money from Ibotta, etc and target discounted gift cards helps cover food and booze. We have cut down from 8 night stays a year to 4 since the pandemic. It comes down to what you are comfortable spending.

 

[rainyvegandisney]

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