Disney Too Expensive?

[OrlLover]

It'll be interesting to see what happens in the coming months, but it seems like this entire idea of reducing attendance and increasing guest spending per capita hasn't worked out. Magic Band was designed to improve the guest experience by reducing time in queues and spending more time eating/shopping, but they forgot that people go to a theme park to actually ride rides and see shows.

Hoping WDW goes through a capacity boom for all of its parks. (Epcot is the exception, decent capacity but lots of wasted capacity from Figment/Mission Space/Gran Fiesta/SSE)

There is no such thing as wasted capacity. If you’re saying some of those attractions could be updated then yeah I would agree.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

There is no such thing as wasted capacity. If you’re saying some of those attractions could be updated then yeah I would agree.

Yeah, that's what I meant. Those attractions have great throughput but they just don't receive great demand. I love Gran Fiesta, but replace that with Coco and it should help spread crowds out between Frozen/Remy. Upgrade Figment to be a good attraction and it'll move people back to that area.

 

[GA-MBIT]

Yeah, that's what I meant. Those attractions have great throughput but they just don't receive great demand. I love Gran Fiesta, but replace that with Coco and it should help spread crowds out between Frozen/Remy. Upgrade Figment to be a good attraction and it'll move people back to that area.

Not the thread for it, but any major revamp of Grand Fiesta Tour would have to involve either gutting the interior of the Monument pavilion for queue space or re-landscaping a completely new queue area for it. That ride is quaint and the queue is like 4 concrete switchbacks haha.

 

[SailwiththeTide]

OP is Disney too Expensive?

Yes.

But people will still go.
End of Thread

 

[shiekra38]

A friend visited Disney recently to see the "Star Wars thing Resistance Rising or whatever"

And he commented that the price to fun ratio (the fun he had for the price he paid) was way way off

He said "it was cool, but I'd totally be fine if I never went back"

I know it's anecdotal, but I found it interesting

 

[OrlandoGuy]

A friend visited Disney recently to see the "Star Wars thing Resistance Rising or whatever"

And he commented that the price to fun ratio (the fun he had for the price he paid) was way way off

He said "it was cool, but I'd totally be fine if I never went back"

I know it's anecdotal, but I found it interesting

I have to imagine that’s the attitude of a lot of (God forgive me for using this word) “casuals.” A trip to Disney (or if you’re a local, having an AP) is like a rite of passage at this point…you’re paying for an emotional connection. Taking the parks at face value for what they are, they’re absolutely too expensive—but so are a lot of things, especially tourist destinations in this experience-based economy.

 

[jarmor]

I look at this as two fold. Could the parks be considered expensive? Yes, however is it worth it? and I would say yes. All things considered; hours available, amount of things to do, comfort level. . . I think disney isn't as expensive as we think. My last experience. I decided to go during MNSSHP because i wanted to introduce my niece and godson to disney world without them being overwhelmed. The tickets were about 100.00 a pop for each of us. We got in at 4pm and did some rides, (even though it's reduced hours from a regular day, it was almost just as much with early entry). During the turn over time from day to the event, we went to the family style dinner location in liberty square. Spent less than 100.00 on dinner for 3 and we were stuff and everyone had a variety of food to pick from. We rode all night, got plenty of candy and ended up tapping out before the event closed lol. Booked one night at the wyndham at bonnet creek for like 150.00, oh forgot to mention, I live in south carolina so we flew down that night and flew back the next day. All and all this cost less than 600.00 for a quick trip to magic kingdome. I don't consider that expensive at all because i've spent that much on dinner and drinks.

 

[fryoj]

Disney is in the sweet spot between too expensive and not expensive enough. It's too expensive to do a vacation for a majority of the country where you'd feel like you got your money worth. But on the flip side, it's not so expensive that it starts keeping people away and makes the parks not so overcrowded that you can't enjoy it. No easy fix to it really.

 

[david10225]

I'm flying down from the Myrtle Beach airport to Orlando next month for my birthday, spending 3 nights - only 49 each way on Spirit - direct flight.....I am going to Universal though for my actual birthday

 

[shiekra38]

Disney is in the sweet spot between too expensive and not expensive enough. It's too expensive to do a vacation for a majority of the country where you'd feel like you got your money worth. But on the flip side, it's not so expensive that it starts keeping people away and makes the parks not so overcrowded that you can't enjoy it. No easy fix to it really.

Yet another Chapek era strategy that was deeply flawed

 

[Mad Dog]

The signs continue that WDW isn't meeting attendance projections. Previously they extended hotel discounts all the way to Christmas week. And today they announced a nice ticket discount for Florida residents. Keep in mind the trend during the past 7 years has been busy Oct./ Nov./Dec.....Florida Resident discount for Oct. 2, 2023 through Dec. 22 2023.
*4 day ticket $59 per day
*3 day ticket $72 per day
*2 day ticket $98 per day
Sure sounds like a signal flag that the upcoming quarter looks soft and needs a spur for attendance.

 

[Jamesh22]

The signs continue that WDW isn't meeting attendance projections. Previously they extended hotel discounts all the way to Christmas week. And today they announced a nice ticket discount for Florida residents. Keep in mind the trend during the past 7 years has been busy Oct./ Nov./Dec.....Florida Resident discount for Oct. 2, 2023 through Dec. 22 2023.
*4 day ticket $59 per day
*3 day ticket $72 per day
*2 day ticket $98 per day
Sure sounds like a signal flag that the upcoming quarter looks soft and needs a spur for attendance.

Interesting.
Also backed up by D23 suggesting most of the focus was being placed on WDW improvements. Maybe the penny has dropped that Orlando needs bigger investment than it has received in order to drive attendance?

 

[Mad Dog]

Disney just now released a hotel discount offer for the first three months of 2024. It's only for Visa holders now, but generally discounts for all soon follow these Visa discount announcements. This was extended to everyone the week after this post.

 

[Mad Dog]

And now, yesterday more Disney discount announcements, that at this early date, are extending into the end of June 2024. Even Len Testa, of Touring Plans, is taking note of so many discounts being announced way earlier than normal, portends concerns by Disney on their present and future attendance being soft. With the exception of the Jewish holiday weekend, September was slow. And Oct., usually a bright star, has started slow. Columbus Day weekend, usually very crowded, will be something to watch. And Universal, outside of a very busy HHN, has also seemed slower than recent normal. Keep in mind that during the past 6 or 7 years, Sept. and Oct. have been busier than they were in the past....except for the covid year and this year.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

And now, yesterday more Disney discount announcements, that at this early date, are extending into the end of June 2024. Even Len Testa, of Touring Plans, is taking note of so many discounts being announced way earlier than normal, portends concerns by Disney on their present and future attendance being soft. With the exception of the Jewish holiday weekend, September was slow. And Oct., usually a bright star, has started slow. Columbus Day weekend, usually very crowded, will be something to watch. And Universal, outside of a very busy HHN, has also seemed slower than recent normal. Keep in mind that during the past 6 or 7 years, Sept. and Oct. have been busier than they were in the past....except for the covid year and this year.

I think the parks hit a hard price ceiling getting a bit too excited over last year's revenge travel. Universal is much busier than they were back in 2018/2019, but definitely a down year compared to last year. I'm sure in the next quarterly earnings for CMCSA they'll focus on HHN being a revenue driver for the resort (like always) to hide the abysmal returns.

While Universal Hotels still remains a value, I think they've gotten a bit overconfident with park ticket pricing.

Disney has actually been more pleasant to visit recently with great service, AP offers and decent crowds.

 

[Mad Dog]

I think the parks hit a hard price ceiling getting a bit too excited over last year's revenge travel. Universal is much busier than they were back in 2018/2019, but definitely a down year compared to last year. I'm sure in the next quarterly earnings for CMCSA they'll focus on HHN being a revenue driver for the resort (like always) to hide the abysmal returns.

While Universal Hotels still remains a value, I think they've gotten a bit overconfident with park ticket pricing.

Disney has actually been more pleasant to visit recently with great service, AP offers and decent crowds.

I agree that both resorts got greedier (and Universal deluxe hotel pricing went through the roof), than even their normal greedy ways. And, like you, my view, and I was always the opposite view before the new upper mgt. at Universal, Disney was a more pleasant experience, and their operations were significantly better.

 

[JohnHammondsCane]

I think the parks hit a hard price ceiling getting a bit too excited over last year's revenge travel. Universal is much busier than they were back in 2018/2019, but definitely a down year compared to last year. I'm sure in the next quarterly earnings for CMCSA they'll focus on HHN being a revenue driver for the resort (like always) to hide the abysmal returns.

While Universal Hotels still remains a value, I think they've gotten a bit overconfident with park ticket pricing.

Disney has actually been more pleasant to visit recently with great service, AP offers and decent crowds.

Agreed. For the forseeable future, we will stay at Universal hotels (Sapphire or RPR). The value can't be beat, especially compared to Disney hotels of comparable value.

Looking at many of the WDW resort prices for the upper tiers, I'm shocked that they can fill rooms at those prices. Wilderness lodge is $560 pre-tax for a week the end of next September

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Looking at many of the WDW resort prices for the upper tiers, I'm shocked that they can fill rooms at those prices. Wilderness lodge is $560 pre-tax for a week the end of next September

The funny part is... they're not filling out those rooms. Too stubborn to lower rates.

 

[OrlLover]

I wonder how crowds are looking in California ?

 

[Mad Dog]

I wonder how crowds are looking in California ?

Don't know....BUT they've been doing some, if not all, of these types of discounts there also. Might be signals they're seeing a soft year coming up in 2024.