With all the price increases is it worth even going?

[freshmanjs]

I do not think inflation can be blamed for all the price increases that have happened. I believe it is more about increasing profits by charging more for some things and charging for other things where there were no charges before. For instance I have no intention of paying for Genie+ just to get to ride the latest and greatest attraction after paying $300 for two people for a one day pass not including park hopping which would have cost an additional $75 per person. So I already know that I will be locked out of experiencing certain attractions. Then there is the hassle of trying to get dinner reservations at 60 days out and most are all ready somehow booked. On top of that the restaurants menus have reduced selections. Then there is all the customer service cutback that I read on these boards such as adults not being allowed to order from a kids menu or not being able to get an extra serving of bread.

I definitely feel that at least for those who have been going to Disney for a long time the current nickel and diming of everything while at the same time experiencing reduced customer service has taken the joy out of visiting WDW. There have been several articles with quotes from Disney Executives that make them seem oblivious.

Here is one interesting article and recent thread regarding "Legacy" guests and the direction Disney is taking

excuse-me-“legacy-fans”-we-might-just-be-disney’s-only-way-forward.3895209

There are literally zero attractions that require additional payments beyond park admission.

 

[georgina]

I do not think inflation can be blamed for all the price increases that have happened. I believe it is more about increasing profits by charging more for some things and charging for other things where there were no charges before. For instance I have no intention of paying for Genie+ just to get to ride the latest and greatest attraction after paying $300 for two people for a one day pass not including park hopping which would have cost an additional $75 per person. So I already know that I will be locked out of experiencing certain attractions. Then there is the hassle of trying to get dinner reservations at 60 days out and most are all ready somehow booked. On top of that the restaurants menus have reduced selections. Then there is all the customer service cutback that I read on these boards such as adults not being allowed to order from a kids menu or not being able to get an extra serving of bread.

I definitely feel that at least for those who have been going to Disney for a long time the current nickel and diming of everything while at the same time experiencing reduced customer service has taken the joy out of visiting WDW. There have been several articles with quotes from Disney Executives that make them seem oblivious.

Here is one interesting article and recent thread regarding "Legacy" guests and the direction Disney is taking

excuse-me-“legacy-fans”-we-might-just-be-disney’s-only-way-forward.3895209

You didn't say when you were last there, that the joy was gone. You won't be locked out of any attraction if you don't buy G+. While a lot of folks here say they aren't going back, which I am completely fine with, many of us still have a good time there. I was never one to rhapsodize about 'magic' and didn't always stay in the 'bubble'. Disney resort prices are outrageous, and I could afford them but usually choose not to. I booked several DS restaurants on Open Table earlier than 60 days out for our last trip. I combine a few Disney days with Universal, where I have an AP. Short-term tickets to WDW are very expensive, but buying with 10-20% off gift cards from credit card offers helps that a bit.

 

[Cindra]

We were just there in September for 9 days (at the least busy time of year). It was the first time in the parks for us in a while (we are DVC owners who typically go once or twice a year for 3-4 day trips to just enjoy resorts/DS/other non-park activities).

If your trip is about the parks, I hope you can adopt some of the input about taking the day as it comes and not having big expectations and then you may be just fine with the experience. With toddlers/seniors in our extended family group of 12 we did plan to use ILL (GoG and RoR) and Genie+ and it was a disaster. RoR was shut down from park opening until around 2pm which meant anyone with ILL for the 6 hours from park opening could all get in ILL line as well as ones with the times starting at 2pm. The standby line was over 400 minutes shortly after it opened. GoG was down at our ILL timeframe and due to being only ILL/group (no standby) it wasn't even on the app for wait times to know from other parts of the park when it re-opened. Test Track was down at our Genie+ time and we were able to get Ratatouille Genie+ (frozen was the 7am pick due to group) at 8pm but it was down at that time and we didn't get to ride.

We will visit again soon for resort/non-park experiences but expect it to be a long time, if at all, before desiring to return to the parks without changes to prices/ride policies which don't seem likely until/if demand changes.

 

[dwg]

I was last in WDW pre-Chapek. Yes, I am technically corrected that there are zero attractions that cost money beyond park tickets but you are not getting on some of the latest attractions without going through Genie+/LL or a virtual queue. Virtual Queues have their own limitations. What I meant about being locked out was that with both of these options either paid or virtual queue requires much planning including get on an app at 7:00 am and there is still no guarantee of getting a time to ride the attraction on the day that you have a reservation for a particular park. I will just skip those rides until another time.

I am aware of Open Table. That is great that you can use Open Table for booking some Disney Restaurants but is that option discussed on WDW official site or does WDW only using their proprietary system? I tried Open Table when making reservations. It didn't help us as not all Disney Restaurants are available on Open Table. The only reason I was even aware of the option was from using these boards. If you are not on these boards or checking some other non official WDW sites trying to plan every detail you will probably not be aware of some of the options available. That in itself is shameful and probably why so many restaurants had no availability at 60 days out. I certainly didn't think I would have an issue at 60 days out. Lesson learned. I don't believe a vacation should be that complicated.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

We spent more for our POR stay and parks this past month than when we stayed at the contemporary before 2020. We hadn't been back since a weekend in Jan 2020. We are going to be experiencing the rest of the real world for a few years cause Disney is no longer a good value in any sense of the word. Just insane.

 

[DCLMP]

I booked 3 nights at the Dolphin with Marriot points and 4 nights at SSR renting points. I'm paying about 1200 for the 7 nights. It's just me and my youngest son. 6 day tickets no hoppers. I used cc cash back rewards to buy the tickets. We will probably only do 4 table service meals. However it turns out I don't feel like I spent a ton of money on this trip. We're going in late January so weather should be nice and crowds reasonable. If I hadn't figured out a way to do this on the cheap I wouldn't be going. My son loves the place so it's more for him.

I used to spend four times this amount when my older now adult son and Dh went with us. We stayed deluxe and ate at TS restaurants every night. We even did the Deluxe dining plan a couple of times. It was expensive, but not outrageously so.

I wonder if this will backfire on Disney if more people like me adjust there trips and actually spend less or don't go at all. There is such a thing as demand destruction....so just give it time.

 

[DCLMP]

I was last in WDW pre-Chapek. Yes, I am technically corrected that there are zero attractions that cost money beyond park tickets but you are not getting on some of the latest attractions without going through Genie+/LL or a virtual queue. Virtual Queues have their own limitations. What I meant about being locked out was that with both of these options either paid or virtual queue requires much planning including get on an app at 7:00 am and there is still no guarantee of getting a time to ride the attraction on the day that you have a reservation for a particular park. I will just skip those rides until another time.

I am aware of Open Table. That is great that you can use Open Table for booking some Disney Restaurants but is that option discussed on WDW official site or does WDW only using their proprietary system? I tried Open Table when making reservations. It didn't help us as not all Disney Restaurants are available on Open Table. The only reason I was even aware of the option was from using these boards. If you are not on these boards or checking some other non official WDW sites trying to plan every detail you will probably not be aware of some of the options available. That in itself is shameful and probably why so many restaurants had no availability at 60 days out. I certainly didn't think I would have an issue at 60 days out. Lesson learned. I don't believe a vacation should be that complicated.

I discovered open table on our last trip because we stayed at SSR. Many DS restaurants are on it. It also works great for the Swan and Dolphin. It's great for Disneyland too.

 

[rchampagne]

Let's be real... Disney is a business and their main goal is to make money. so if it's as crowded as ever, then they can continue to raise prices. I think they're losing some repeat customers like myself, who remember how it used to be better. But as I spend my vacation money elsewhere, there is another family who will be going for the 1st time to replace me. And, since they don't have prior experience, they'll probably enjoy their vacation just fine, not knowing how it used to be. Maybe this is how it's always been... Disney's version of the circle of life.

 

[DaviVascaino]

Let's be real... Disney is a business and their main goal is to make money. so if it's as crowded as ever, then they can continue to raise prices. I think they're losing some repeat customers like myself, who remember how it used to be better. But as I spend my vacation money elsewhere, there is another family who will be going for the 1st time to replace me. And, since they don't have prior experience, they'll probably enjoy their vacation just fine, not knowing how it used to be. Maybe this is how it's always been... Disney's version of the circle of life.

the issue is Disney has always been more expensive than Universal for example, but it was definitely worth it. from the CMs to the experience in general, we felt that paying more was worth it. Now, the main issue is you are paying more for a lesser experience. I am going one more time inFeb 2023, and probably take a few years break.

 

[Uncle Coaster]

And, since they don't have prior experience, they'll probably enjoy their vacation just fine, not knowing how it used to be. Maybe this is how it's always been... Disney's version of the circle of life.

I agree with the point of your post but just wanted to add that there are people who have been going to WDW for many years and also enjoy their vacation just fine even knowing how it used to be.

I know you didn’t say that there aren’t, but I thought it was worth adding a comment.

 

[Dallas_Lady]

We still love Disney but we don't go as often as we used to and we don't spend much on the extras anymore. We stay offsite, don't buy a lot of muerch and and we don't do specialty dining. Especially now that we'll have to buy Disney Genie.

We have found other vacation destinations that we enjoy just as much, especially now that my kids are teenagers.

 

[set88]

I'm thinking I should stop reading this as it's just putting me in a negative mindset for my upcoming trip. And I really want to keep looking forward to it!

I haven't been to Disney since I was a kid. My only comparison will be to other theme parks, and I think Disney is still going to exceed my expectations based on those. I would never be planning to stay in a fancy hotel or eat a lot of table service meals. Disney's quick service prices and the value hotel price seem in line with other vacation destinations to me.

So I guess I'm that "first timer" (basically) that doesn't know how much better and cheaper it used to be and will likely be satisfied with my experience comparing only to how things are now at other theme parks. Everything has gotten more expensive. I don't feel the price I'm paying for my trip is outrageous (and as a Florida resident, Universal's prices are actually higher or right around the same as Disney's). It's too bad it's not as good a value as it once was, but as someone who doesn't do a ton of frills or add-ons for theme park trips, I think (hope) I will still feel I got my money's worth just experiencing the parks.

 

[Pinnochio]

It's too bad it's not as good a value as it once was, but as someone who doesn't do a ton of frills or add-ons for theme park trips, I think (hope) I will still feel I got my money's worth just experiencing the parks.

you will....enjoy!

 

[Frozen2014]

We don't go often so each trip is special and worth it.
When we went in 2014 for the first time, we thought it would be our only Disney World trip. We stayed on site (Art of Animation - but suite room), got memory maker, purchased (middle) dining plan, and DD did Bibbidi Bobbiti Boutique, and rented a car.

But we were able to go one more time, this past August. This trip was a special gift for our DD's 13th birthday. We also splurged staying at Contemporary, but only did a few Table Service restaurants. No memory maker or extras or a car. We did purchase Lightning Lane (before the dynamic pricing) and found it very worth it.

Having said that....these are not every year trips. And this time, we most likely won't be going again. Not because we didn't love it, but because our kids are getting older and next trip wouldn't be anytime soon.

Do I think it's worth it? Yes! And I will be corny as say these Disney trips truly are magical! But for worth it, I would say for us, only for a special occasion as financially it costs $$$.
(And if we did go again, we would stay at value, or even offsite if needed to try and save a bit of money). But I can only talk for us as everyone's situation is different.

 

[Frozen2014]

I'm thinking I should stop reading this as it's just putting me in a negative mindset for my upcoming trip. And I really want to keep looking forward to it!

I haven't been to Disney since I was a kid. My only comparison will be to other theme parks, and I think Disney is still going to exceed my expectations based on those. I would never be planning to stay in a fancy hotel or eat a lot of table service meals. Disney's quick service prices and the value hotel price seem in line with other vacation destinations to me.

So I guess I'm that "first timer" (basically) that doesn't know how much better and cheaper it used to be and will likely be satisfied with my experience comparing only to how things are now at other theme parks. Everything has gotten more expensive. I don't feel the price I'm paying for my trip is outrageous (and as a Florida resident, Universal's prices are actually higher or right around the same as Disney's). It's too bad it's not as good a value as it once was, but as someone who doesn't do a ton of frills or add-ons for theme park trips, I think (hope) I will still feel I got my money's worth just experiencing the parks.

People complain on message boards, but to have a whole board on Disney means it's something special. Disney World really is something special. It's not just a theme park. Disney pays attention to detail, customer service and just the whole atmosphere. Even adults turn into kids getting excited at seeing characters (myself included)...lol. Every attraction brings something different and your first time really brings the best as it's all a surprise.
Ignore the negative attitude. Everyone has a budget and yeah, Disney may be more money than going to another theme park for a few days but it's just so much more! You'll have an amazing trip!

 

[RoseGold]

This is very hard to stomach for me, unless you have small children or this is your "once in X years" trip. The cost is staggering, and the service is nowhere near what it used to be.

I could have gone to Europe for the cost of my last trip, and honestly, maybe I should have.

Park attendance says otherwise. Place is packed to the gills. So, I guess Disney is doing something right, at least short term.

 

[gharter]

Currently, I think Disney continues to be busy as it still is still catching up from pent up demand during the CoVid shut down. Especially with the International travel just really opening back up. Once that catches up, and especially when Epic universe opens up, things may change.
As their prices keep going up, they must be losing repeat business. We just don't know where the guest volume and increasing price curves cross and start dropping.
We used to go twice a year. For many reasons, we are down to once a year.

 

[foolish-mortal]

And honestly there are SO many absolutely amazing places to go and things to see. We did a big California trip this summer with our kids. We started in San Francisco and stayed a few nights, drove down the coast on Highway 1 which is stunning beyond words, went to Laguna Beach for a few nights, then went to DL for a few nights. It was so amazing. One of our favorite trips ever. And, we'll hopefully be doing Italy next summer. I want my kids to see the world and explore lots of different places. I'm not going to increase my budget while I'm lowering my expectations at WDW. For the cost of a WDW trip you can go almost anywhere!

 

[PamNC]

If it takes me more than 6 months to save for a vacation it's too expensive for me. I do not have the patience for that... I'm officially priced out of Disney deluxe resorts. I will do swan and Dolphin, or SSR if I can find a deal on points, but other than that I'm done. I'm not interested in a value hotel so I'll do something else with my money.

that's kinda what I'm saying. I am not interested in a value resort either although I'm sure at some point I'll stay at one again. I do think the Swan and Dolphin are good alternatives but you have to keep in mind they have really high resort fees. Still, much cheaper than a deluxe at Disney. I guess I'll have to do off-site which isn't really what I want to do. I don't know. Like I said, I'm going to give Universal a try I think. Hurts to even type this. :-(

 

[PamNC]

Currently, I think Disney continues to be busy as it still is still catching up from pent up demand during the CoVid shut down. Especially with the International travel just really opening back up. Once that catches up, and especially when Epic universe opens up, things may change.
As their prices keep going up, they must be losing repeat business. We just don't know where the guest volume and increasing price curves cross and start dropping.
We used to go twice a year. For many reasons, we are down to once a year.

Yep - me too. recently I've done 2-3 a year and I'm definitely thinking 1 a year will be my MAX.