News Round Up 2017

[skier_pete]

We spend one week in Disney and one week skiing in Colorado every year and find Disney comparable financially. In my opinion, the only weakness Disney has is the quality of their food. We're totally organic non-gmo and Disney has nothing to offer. I feel sick to my stomach every time a blogger posts pics of their food review. For the most part we bring our own. This year we'll also try Amazon.

Your comparing Disney to the one recreational activity that is probably more expensive than Disney - though Disney has caught up.

A lot can be done with structuring trips. We have 4 trips planned in a 12 month period, using our DVC, frequent flier, and AP discounts to minimize costs. Our 5-day long trip in November is costing us very little. Dividing our AP across all trips comes to $20 per day for park tickets, two free flights, four nights in a value room at AKV is only $80 , we estimate this little trip is costing us about $540 OOP for 5 days, not counting what we spend on food - though being Food and Wine the food will likely add up quite a bit. We'd be hard pressed to go anywhere nice for that price.

 

[umichigan10]

My wife and I are heading up to Hershey, PA for a few nights at the end of the month for a concert and Hersheypark. I checked the rates at Hotel Hershey and saw "Starting at $429". I said "Those are Disney rates".

I like Hershey, but it is NOT Disney.

Yeah I've stayed at a Hershey hotel beforehand and uh it's not Disney accommodations....

 

[amalone1013]

This probably isn't the right spot for this, but I know we do a lot of talking about how expensive Disney vacations can be. We just got back from a trip to Ocean City, NJ to visit my parents. There are a couple small amusement parks on the boardwalk that are always jammed at night. To give you an idea, a ride on the ferris wheel, $5 per person. A ride on the one drop log flume, $5 per person. A ride on the 2 minute, 100% blacklight and teenager banging on the walls Haunted House, $4 per person. A ride on a kiddie coaster, $4 per person. A ride on a vomit cyclotron (pretty much a no theme Mission Space), $4 per person. A ride on a circle submarine kiddie ride? $3 per person. A small bag of caramel popcorn, $5. A bad hamburger, $7. A large coke, $3.50.

I've complained about Disney being stupidly expensive a time or two in my day. Frankly, I now think it's a bargain...

Same here. My fiance is really into rides, and can't even resist the tiny carnival that comes by every summer. The rides are the same prices, and the unlimited wristband is $25 a person. My family went to our state fair every year, and we got the wristbands (though they were less then). I would go back to a state fair for the fair things, but I'd skip the rides and save that money for my next Disney trip. Same with our local amusement park... it's okay but small, and operations/maintenance has gown downhill substantially in the 4 summers I've been going. We've skipped it this year. We're perfectly fine waiting until our next Disney trip (well, not perfectly fine... )

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Fly-fi doesn't want to open the medal pics, but I'm glad the challenge medal sounds cool!

ETA: finally got it to open and I REALYY LIKE the medals! I love the travel theme and that these aren't like any I already have.

Rough audience here...

 

[FoxC63]

Your comparing Disney to the one recreational activity that is probably more expensive than Disney - though Disney has caught up.

Nope, it's been about the same for us, has been for years. I would say Disney is slightly more expensive and not the other way around.

 

[amalone1013]

A lot can be done with structuring trips. We have 4 trips planned in a 12 month period, using our DVC, frequent flier, and AP discounts to minimize costs. Our 5-day long trip in November is costing us very little. Dividing our AP across all trips comes to $20 per day for park tickets, two free flights, four nights in a value room at AKV is only $80 , we estimate this little trip is costing us about $540 OOP for 5 days, not counting what we spend on food - though being Food and Wine the food will likely add up quite a bit. We'd be hard pressed to go anywhere nice for that price.

I hope to structure our trips like this. We got APs because it was cheaper than 10 days + 3/4 days for our two trips. We'll for sure do another 4 day trip before they expire. If we didn't have a really big trip in September (the 10 day trip) we would have probably done two more 4 day/long weekend trips. We've got lots of flight points right now. Short trip tickets are so pricy...

 

[rteetz]

News

2017 Halloween merchandise

http://blogmickey.com/2017/08/2017-halloween-merchandise-released-shop-parks/

 

[lockedoutlogic]

This probably isn't the right spot for this, but I know we do a lot of talking about how expensive Disney vacations can be. We just got back from a trip to Ocean City, NJ to visit my parents. There are a couple small amusement parks on the boardwalk that are always jammed at night. To give you an idea, a ride on the ferris wheel, $5 per person. A ride on the one drop log flume, $5 per person. A ride on the 2 minute, 100% blacklight and teenager banging on the walls Haunted House, $4 per person. A ride on a kiddie coaster, $4 per person. A ride on a vomit cyclotron (pretty much a no theme Mission Space), $4 per person. A ride on a circle submarine kiddie ride? $3 per person. A small bag of caramel popcorn, $5. A bad hamburger, $7. A large coke, $3.50.

I've complained about Disney being stupidly expensive a time or two in my day. Frankly, I now think it's a bargain...

It's hard to compare the New Jersey boardwalks to anything...

They are both incredibly hood and ridiculously expensive in the same breath...

The only real comparisons to disney are universal destinations and perhaps some of the AH built parks

 

[lockedoutlogic]

My wife and I are heading up to Hershey, PA for a few nights at the end of the month for a concert and Hersheypark. I checked the rates at Hotel Hershey and saw "Starting at $429". I said "Those are Disney rates".

I like Hershey, but it is NOT Disney.

Again...the Hershey hotel is both very expensive...but also very nice and a long standing reputation in an area Devoid of anything other than football scandals...

Lots of cherry picking here today...but if you're gonna use New Jersey and Pennsylvania as the examples...I'm gonna have to light em up like a ticked off fire breathing dragon...

DRACARYS!!!

 

[lockedoutlogic]

This is very true. We went to the county fair a few years ago and dropped $200 in a single day on crap food, bad rides and entertainment. A day pass to our local Six Flags Equivalent is I think $50. I plopped down $130 a ticket for nosebleed seats for U2, a $150 a ticket for decent but not great seats to Roger Waters, both of which are going to be lucky to last 2.5 hours.

I wouldn't call Disney a bargain for sure, but it is not out of line with a lot of entertainment options these days.

As you well know, Piotr...

There is a comparison fallacy at work here.

Concerts, fairs, sporting events feature real kick in the pants rippoffs no doubt...

But they are singular events most times. One day kick in the stones...

As opposed to disney...which knows damn well their realities because they have tracked/mined their data for a half century...is stacking what is now legitimately $1000 per day for a family of four for an average of 6-7 days.

It's not the single sticker shock they need to be careful of...it's the slow burn.

We can make excuses for them...and they can choose to pass the breaking point...

But if it happens - nothing will be able to reverse the damage...
...not even "free dining" or a return of Spectromagic.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Photo update

Disney skyliner update

http://www.wdwmagic.com/transportat...tos---disney-skyliner-construction-update.htm

I dint the spot at pop century to be interesting...I'm wondering if the proximity to the gate/Caribbean is gonna create a double access
Point?

And boy...are they gonna jack those prices up...rest assured.

 

[MissGina5]

It's hard to compare the New Jersey boardwalks to anything...

They are both incredibly hood and ridiculously expensive in the same breath...

The only real comparisons to disney are universal destinations and perhaps some of the AH built parks

I was looking because I am going to Universal for HHN and OH MY GOD. If anyone thinks Disney is scamming you, Universal is just insane! It was almost not worth it to me tbh.

 

[DISnewjersey]

I personally don't think Disney is expensive.

A broadway play is about the same cost as a one day ticket but meanwhile you only get 3 hours of entertainment at a Broadway play. Food prices are on-par with any type of tourist attraction / sporting event in the country. A day pass at Disney can get me 12+ hours of entertainment.

Disney World is one of the top tourist destinations in the world. I don't know what people expect. ~$100 a day (plus the cost of food) is a pretty good deal.

 

[Tigger's ally]

Again...the Hershey hotel is both very expensive...but also very nice and a long standing reputation in an area Devoid of anything other than football scandals...

Lots of cherry picking here today...but if you're gonna use New Jersey and Pennsylvania as the examples...I'm gonna have to light em up like a ticked off fire breathing dragon...

DRACARYS!!!

That is why I said a couple pages back that nothing really compares.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

That is why I said a couple pages back that nothing really compares.

And here...we are in near agreement.

I would say some aspects of more upscale places like Hilton head, mackinac island, Martha's Vineyard, Newport...compare to the on property wdw in SOME ways...

...and the universal Orlando is getting there...but none encompass all of what they built in LBV...As in the way it was constructed from the ground up for 50 years just makes it a unique proposition...

It is what it is...that doesn't mean we can't question pricing or be better consumers...nothing precludes that.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I personally don't think Disney is expensive.

A broadway play is about the same cost as a one day ticket but meanwhile you only get 3 hours of entertainment at a Broadway play. Food prices are on-par with any type of tourist attraction / sporting event in the country. A day pass at Disney can get me 12+ hours of entertainment.

Disney World is one of the top tourist destinations in the world. I don't know what people expect. ~$100 a day (plus the cost of food) is a pretty good deal.

What did it cost 10 years ago?

What did a broadway play cost 10 years ago?

How much income increase have most people gained in that time?


It's a complicated issue. I'm not even saying I disagree with you...I don't think it's a ripoff in many aspects. But I won't accept everything they're selling because their management philosophy is changing in a dangerous tact...for me AND for disney.

Wdw has been a "better" value and a lesser value tied to the dollar at different points over its history...the last 10-15 years have not been a high point for consumers...

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I was looking because I am going to Universal for HHN and OH MY GOD. If anyone thinks Disney is scamming you, Universal is just insane! It was almost not worth it to me tbh.

There's prices are mirrored and they adjust them so concurrently you almost have to assume they collude in advance.

It is what it is in Orlando.

 

[Tigger's ally]

And here...we are in near agreement.

I would say some aspects of more upscale places like Hilton head, mackinac island, Martha's Vineyard, Newport...compare to the on property wdw in SOME ways...

...and the universal Orlando is getting there...but none encompass all of what they built in LBV...As in the way it was constructed from the ground up for 50 years just makes it a unique proposition...

It is what it is...that doesn't mean we can't question pricing or be better consumers...nothing precludes that.

I myself seem to look at costs a little differently. The things that separate Disney from other places I go (I am a golfer so I travel, I am a Cub and Blackhawk fan so I travel, I am a U2 fan so I know that too) is what they pay for things that those of us vacationing take for granted. Things like cleanliness, Topiary's and landscaping all over, transportation, security, and endless others. The money we spend for the ticket and the room gets broken up into so many expense streams that none of us really know the true costs. I would like to see those expenses broken down though. Hotel expenses alone would be neat to see how much they allocate to staff, upkeep, transportation, etc.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I myself seem to look at costs a little differently. The things that separate Disney from other places I go (I am a golfer so I travel, I am a Cub and Blackhawk fan so I travel, I am a U2 fan so I know that too) is what they pay for things that those of us vacationing take for granted. Things like cleanliness, Topiary's and landscaping all over, transportation, security, and endless others. The money we spend for the ticket and the room gets broken up into so many expense streams that none of us really know the true costs. I would like to see those expenses broken down though. Hotel expenses alone would be neat to see how much they allocate to staff, upkeep, transportation, etc.

I have seen those broken up...if a little dated.

The tickets and lodging fees pays the operational bills (more or less), food is mostly cost with small profit (but they doubled the prices since then...so who knows?)...and most of the gift shop register generates the profits that go straight to dividends that frankly shouldn't exist and bob iger's golden parachute...

There ya go...

 

[koala1966]

Great movie ride merch doesn't start selling until august 10th. Guess I'll be ordering mine online

I was at both Studios and Epcot on Saturday (8/5) for my last rides on GMR & UOE and merchandise for both rides is already on sale. They were selling both at end of ride and in the main stores.I saw hats, shirts, cups, and picture frames for GMR. I was tempted by the shirt but didn't buy it.