Originally Posted By brerroadrunner I can't help but feel Disney has really jacked up all the costs this past year. I wrote them a letter stating how difficult it is to afford to visit like we used to with the newer resort rates, higher Holiday rates, and higher charges on weekends. (We would always start our trip at FW on the lowest rate and get that rate through our entire stay during the Christmas Holiday.)This coming Christmas we will probably cancel our reservations because of the increases. I figured for the same stay as previous years it was an $800-$1000 increase(resort rates and ticket price increases)!! I told them this in my letter and I actually received a phone call from them letting me know they received it and have read it and they do care what we had to say. The Dining Experience Card increased, Hoiday meals increased, and as stated in other posts, more and more hard ticket events. Our family of 7 could never afford the Christmas Party and now no one would care for the PP Parties. But it Does mess up your evening visits to MK and I didn't realize till last Dec that it is the only way to see the Christmas Parade in early Dec. The Canldlelight Proc. and Fantasmic Dinner Packages are just another way to get more money out of the guests and outprice other guests from getting nice seats. A regualr family buying regular admission may not get to experience these parades and show that were once available for no extra charge. What's next? Buying your Fast Pass? The tickets keep going up. We like AP. I am not sure when we will be able to go back. We used to go at least twice a year. This all comes from one who has truly loved doing vacations at WDW for the past 12 years and has dropped alot of bucks there. I would truly love to be able to do another 12 years worth of vacations. Yes, those trips were magical and memorable, but.... Enough is Enough!!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo It is not the price that puts me off, but rather the value for money and how they manage the place. Compared to most other destination resorts, it" good value overall. But the customer service and transport are poor at the hotels for the money paid (much better at Disneyland, Marriott, Vegas etc.). And all these upcharge events are stupid. I am sure if they offed the experience to all and just upped the passes 20% across the board, we would all be happier. My other major complaint, maintenance and cleanliness are not what they were. Thankfully DL is still clean and well maintained, and DLP beats most of WDW in these departments too. For these reasons, although I love Epcot and DAK, I am more likely to vacation in California or Paris.
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORDDU: Really, davewasbaloo, duckling? Disneyland Paris is cleaner than Walt Disney World? My sisters and I had always been led to believe it was just the opposite. We seem to recall reports from TDLFAN, who goes over there often enough and lamented the fact that there was trash all over the place. ORWEN: Plus there was that picture somebody put up of the mold growing on the back side of Sleeping Beauty Castle over there. That was gross! ORGOCH: 'bout as gross as when Orwen looks inta a mirror ev'ry mornin'!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Well I will report back after our August visit, but yes, my anti WDW rants started not after our last trip to WDW but after our DLP trip 6 months later. DLP was in a better state of repair, had better maintanence, and more sweepers, cleaner tables etc. I was shocked. Still no where near as good as DL, but better than our WDW experience. Also TDLFAN seems to go on Saturday nights during school vacation time, where the guests really do trash the place.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Mold on the castle is a problem at DLP (that said the weather in Europe it's a problem everywhere, much more than Fla). They were supposed to refurb the castle this year, but thanks to the extension of the 15th into the 16th and 17th years, it looks like we will have to wait.
Originally Posted By X-san It's hard to make a comparison between any other Disney place vs. Orlando, I think, because Orlando is just so much bigger. It's sort of like saying "well, New York City was MUCH dirtier than the amusement park I went to in Ohio". I realize that's not a great analogy, but there is something to be said for the incredible SCOPE of WDW and how it's entirely possible for ONE family to come back raving about how incredible the place is while another family laments the bad employees and filthy conditions...all while neither family ever set foot where the other one did. It really is "Disney City, U.S.A.", and in that sense it's hard to compare versus the other areas which are one or two parks crammed into one very small and manageable area. To offer a really absurd example, people at WDW could complain about the overabundance of horse poop around the place (while wandering the trails of Ft. Wilderness perhaps), as well as the incredible traffic congestion in the place (like, really *IN* the place, not *around* it), and there's no Disney resort on Earth that could suffer from EITHER one of those problems. But does that make WDW worse? Not really. Not at all, really. Just far more expansive, and incredibly diverse in terms of offerings.
Originally Posted By dshyates I do believe that the state of the parks goes in cycles. Dave is commenting on how great DLR is in comparison to WDW. Well, the only 3 times i have been to DLR, the exact opposite was true. All 3 times were between May 2001 and Dec. 2002. Pressler was in charge, and I went to Disneyland to check out DCA. Which had just opened 3 months prior. DL Park was really beat up. Peeling paint everywhere. Wood rot. Bare patches in the thatched roofs. The place was hammered. I have heard they cleaned it up for the 50th, but I really wouldn't know since I haven't been back. We chose to spend our US currancy Disney Dollars at their other stateside resort only to find a beat up, stale, overdeveloped, exercise in seperating the guest from their money. They have spent far, far more time and energy in the science of maximizing profit, and have completely neglected the parks. When was the last E-Ticket added to MK? But we did get the BBBoutique and about a million DVC kiosks. When was the last addition to World Showcase? But to go back to the high pressure, supersaturation marketing Disney is using not only in the parks and resorts, but nation wide. The way Disney now markets their products really give me a smarmy, icky feeling. The last time I was at WDW I just felt "dirty". Like they were all over me to take my money. It really wasn't comfortable, and certianly not something I am looking for in a vacation. I like their rides and stuff but at this point I don't care for the atmosphere to the point where I don't feel like visiting too much anymore. I think I will only venture to WDW to see individual new attractions while staying off property up near Universal. I know I am probably the only one who feels this way, and it seems to be working for Disney now, so I will bow out of the Disney demo and keep track like I have since 2006 here on LP.
Originally Posted By X-san Very good point DSH. I certainly remember visiting Anaheim during those "dark days", and I was shocked and disappointed to say the least. A run down park and a crappy second one on the horizon...let's all jump for joy! New management and the big five-o seemed to revitalize things quite a bit, and so Anaheim seemed to shine a bit more. But anyway it wasn't always that nice, that's for sure. Florida has been and continues to be the shining jewel of Disney overall...the magical kingdom if there ever was one. Sure, one park may seem on a downhill slide while another one gets a makeover and all that, but the vacation kingdom of the world it definitely continues to be. At least, walking around the place feels so much more amazingly IMMERSIVE than any other Disney destination, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. One thing about Tokyo that I think is a strong point though, regarding those cycles, is that they are amazingly consistent in terms of upkeep and "show", that's something America lacks these days. Something that Hong Kong, so far, has managed to rival, but time will tell on that point...ANY park looks shiny and new when they build it...the upkeep is the big challenge.
Originally Posted By brerroadrunner dshyates, that is the point I was trying to make. Making more money for Disney and giving less to the guests. Staying at Fort Wilderness and completely away from the parks is a very peaceful vacation. The campground is still very nice, just overpriced! They keep this area very clean, even the bathhouses. Doing the basics has gotten very expensive and now with all the add ons for what used to be included is just ridiculous. They are not providing clean and updated parks to justify all their price increases. Prices will never go down, no matter how many complain. Where will it all end? With the whole place being DVC?
Originally Posted By RockyMtnMinnie I was pretty shocked this last trip as to how expensive food seemed to be. I think they are jacking up the prices for people who aren't on the dining plan to make up for loses in revenue from the people who are on the dining plan. I remember spending plenty of money on food, but this was the first trip that our meals at sit-downs always ran over $100 for two adults and one child, even at lunchtime.
Originally Posted By MinnieSummer After a recent trip to Hershey PA I will never complain about the cost of hotels at WDW. I paid the same that I would pay for a moderate with my AP discount and the rooms were worse than any value at WDW -- in fact they were the worst rooms I have ever stayed in. Two different hotels, both major chains that I have stayed in before, and both were so bad I almost didn't go in. If my DM hadn't been with me I probably would have slept in my car. So, as far as the hotels go I don't see them as being way out of line even though I don't think they are as well maintained as they were 10 or 15 years ago. However, the prices for food -- especially counter service -- compared to what you get is over the top. I also have a serious problem with the cost of souvenirs and the quality/type being offered. They really are no better than the Disney stuff I can get anywhere else. The tickets are another matter. I know several people who have dropped their WDW APs and did the Universal thing only to realize that they were bored with Universal in one or two visits and couldn't making as many trips in one year as they made to WDW. So while I think the cost of tickets is insanely high I will continue to buy my AP, at least for another year.
Originally Posted By mstaft Just want to comment on the Universal vs Disney thing. Last summer, I went to both Disney (Epcot and DAK) and then to Universal (Islands of Adventure). I aslo went to DLP, WDSP, and the real Portofino, Italy. (I had visited Universal's Portofino Resort prior.) Both Disney parks far exceeded what I found at Universal, and the PF Resort is no where near the style or elegance of the real place. In cleanliness, prices of food and souvenirs, and quality of attractions, Disney still ranks higher. I won't go back to Universal and waste my time. (I should probably post my Universal photos on my blog soon, so you can see what I'm talking about.)
Originally Posted By Mrs ElderP Disney Corp is a business, not a public good, like the National Parks. It's a wonderful business and I enjoy it. However, they have the right to price themselves only for upperclass americans. They will always charge the max that the market will bear.
Originally Posted By brerroadrunner MrsElderP you are correct. We didn't make our first trip till we could afford it, even though one of my sons came home from preschool crying because he was the only one in his class who had not been to Disney World. After my first trip, it became a challenge to keep going for as cheap as possible. We camped, did AP's , learned all the tricks to get the best rates, when to go, eat in our camper,etc. Anything to keep the costs down, but still experience as much as we could. I think Disney has caught on and making it ever more difficult to keep it affordable by taking away all the litlle savings and charging for the extras and add ons. I can't remember the last time I had an AP discount at the campground. Of course they don't need to offer it because it is difficult to get a reservation sometimes. We have stayed at deluxe resorts and really enjoyed those(me and DH). I know other places charge hefty for less. I just miss the days when I could take my family of 7, AP, camp for two weeks and not come home completely broke and feel we really got the bang for our buck. Thanks for letting me vent as I am very sad we will not be attending this year.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 I have no issue with what Disney charges for the most part. (Food since the DDP began would be the big exception). I can even quite convincingly argue why a one-day ticket to a Disney park is a bargain (not that I agree, but I can argue it). My issue with WDW is when they market a product as something of very high quality with very high standards and then offer something less. I just want Disney to live up to its PR. Very simple.
Originally Posted By Elderp Sad to say is the only way to protest the prices is to stop the consumption. I really don't mind the prices as long as the product is good. Problem I have is there are several noticible places in which I feel Disney has cut corners. The most obvious of which is food. The food at Disneyland and Disneyworld has really gone down hill in the last ten years. It is basically fast food at restaurant prices. For this reason we hardly ever eat in the parks anymore. At Disneyland this relatively easy to do, but at Disneyworld it is really hard. To compound the matter other amusement parks are not much better. Disney is the undisputed leader in amusement parks. Little by little though the amusement parks seem to be turning into nothing more than permanent carnivals. I am not too worried though, in a world of constant opportunistic capitalism someone I am sure will see the opportunity in providing quality and everyone else will turn suit when their profits drop.
Originally Posted By sun-n-fun I know food at WDW does cost more than at home but I don't think it is unreasonable compared to other vacation spots. We have gone to a few other amusement parks in the US and spend more money on food than at Disney. Portions in other places are smaller so everyone gets their own meal. At WDW we often share 2 or 3 meals for the 4 of us. We also notices that we spend a lot of time saying, "they should do this or that like Disney" After one day we are ready to go home, but in Disney 12 days still wasn't enough. In Canada last month we stayed in a reputable chain hotel (nothing really fancy, but we've been happy at other location) for the same price as a WDW value. This place was a DUMP!! We have since cancelled our reservations ther in July and Aug and are planning on staying somewhere else. I guess what I'm saying is the prices may seem a little higher, but you know exactly what you are getting. I guess if people don't think it is worth it, they don't have to go.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo sun-n-fun, I hear what you are saying, but I think a lot of the concerns are more about the fact that Disney's quality standards seem to be slipping. They are not what they once were. Anyone moaning about the price due to cost out of pocket, well they may need to consider lesser vacation options. Disney parks were designed to be quality/more expensive products. But when you see the quality visibly diminishing, well then it is time to ask the question, is the value reducing, and therefore is it too expensive?
