Originally Posted By TP2000 The OC Register has an article up today discussing the discontinuation of the annual 2Fer ticket promotion for locals. They'd been doing that 2Fer offer in the off-season since 2003, after doing more aggressive free ticket offers and deep discounting for DCA specifically in 2001 and 2002. <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment/california-496298-disney-disneyland.html" target="_blank">http://www.ocregister.com/ente...and.html</a> Blame Cars Land. And something tells me a ticket price hike is on the way this spring.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance Cancel the local discounts and start discounting the out of town vacationers tickets!!!!!
Originally Posted By ksargen #1 - yep. It goes up almost EVERY year. And, as per many statements made by folks on here, it's probably time they did so in a bigger way. The crowds at the parks are far more unpleasant than I ever remember them being in my childhood, summer time included. Charge more money, cut back on attendance, make the experience better for all. Out of town folks who save up for their once a year, or once EVER, trip, can go, enjoy the park without quite as much stress, and everyone comes out on top. Will there be folks who can't afford it? Yep. There always have been, and always will be. It's entertainment, and a vacation spot. Not everyone can fly to NY and stay at the Waldorf, either... I liked the commenter who asked why people think locals should be catered to so much, as it's an INTERNATIONAL destination, and has been for quite a while.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt They've already priced me out. At least for the kind of experience I prefer (premium onsite hotel, fine dining, etc), so I suppose it won't matter to me if the ticket prices go up again.
Originally Posted By ksargen Hans - as always, it's a matter of choices. If you can do similar things for less money, most will. The dining and hotel prices are exactly what I expect for a vacation spot - inflated. Does this mean we cut back on what we do, and how we spend money there? Yep. I only stayed in the DLH this last time because the rest of the family had never seen it.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "The dining and hotel prices are exactly what I expect for a vacation spot - inflated." Hmmm.... that all depends. I just spent a bunch of money on a 10 day trip with Royal Caribbean on a cruise that cost a fraction per day of what a Disney vacation of equal caliber would have cost. I'm not saying that Disney isn't worth the money, but the value is greatly diminished with the crowds, long lines, screaming babies, and constant presence of Disney brands at every turn. At this point when I go I'm visiting mostly for the sake of nostalgia.
Originally Posted By tashajilek "They've already priced me out. At least for the kind of experience I prefer (premium onsite hotel, fine dining, etc) Hans, maybe one day you will be a normal person! LOL, im just kidding. Im glad you had a good time on your cruise.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt LOL Tasha. I was a "normal" person once, but as I've grown older I increasingly want to have a different kind of vacation experience. Who wants to spend their hard earned money standing in line waiting 20 minutes for a hot dog or a bland burger and sleeping on a cardboard motel mattress with kids running up and down the halls at 7am? I'll bet you'll be saying the same thing when you reach my age. Watch.
Originally Posted By ksargen Hans, the cruises - done some. Getting ready for a riverboat trip down the Mississippi. I agree, some of the costs are better elsewhere, and you can, in a lot of cases, escape some of the crowd madness. We've also been on cruises that were crowded, full of screaming babies and old people, and had other weird issues. And there is the ever present "PLEASE SHOP NOW!" *LOL* A couple of the cruises we've been on, there was some sort of sale in the gift shops every day. It gets old. But, I hear ya. You know I had to take a break a while back because of a bad experience, and I've come back to DLR with a new set of eyes and expectations. We're fortunate enough to not be priced out, but it'll come to a point where there will be other things we can do for the money that are worth more to us. I give it another 7 years or so, when my child leaves for college, and we're no longer worried about her school schedule as much...
Originally Posted By tashajilek ^^^ No, im already there Hans. We visit Disney parks a lot less these days which is a good thing. Most of my Disney money is being spent in Las Vegas and on nice hotels that cost less than a dive on Harbour. We are going to Hawaii in April and i cant wait for a more relaxing vacation. "Who wants to spend their hard earned money standing in line waiting 20 minutes for a hot dog or a bland burger" LOL, we did this in December at Tomorrowland Terrace for the worst cold nasty buger ever. Luckily we had a car and that was one of the last things we ate at the Parks.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "We've also been on cruises that were crowded, full of screaming babies and old people, and had other weird issues." The Carnival Cruise nightmare comes to mind. Obviously there are all kinds of surprises that can pop up to ruin a vacation, still you pretty much know that going to a Disney destination in the summer guarantees that sunning by the hotel pool in the afternoon will be anything but relaxing. " You know I had to take a break a while back because of a bad experience, and I've come back to DLR with a new set of eyes and expectations." I took a lengthy break and visited DLR last year and loved it. I haven't been to WDW in forever, and I was thinking about going, but after reading so many negative things about it I've decided to look at other options this summer. I could have gone to WDW last week for a short visit while I was in Florida but opted against it. "Most of my Disney money is being spent in Las Vegas and on nice hotels that cost less than a dive on Harbour. We are going to Hawaii in April and i cant wait for a more relaxing vacation." Have you been to Hawaii before Tasha? Which island are you planning to visit?
Originally Posted By tashajilek Never been. We are starting off in Oahu and then ending on the Big Island. I know Maui and Kaui are supposed to be more beautiful, but the Volcano national park is something i dont want to miss. Have you been before Hans?
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Many times. All of the islands are beautiful and each has their appeal. You'll have fun no matter where you end up. I think Hawaii is especially great for a romantic vacation. Oahu is great because you have city life on one end and lots of rural open space at the other. It's very easy to drive the entire island in a day if you're headquartered in Waikiki. The last time I was there we did the island drive thing one day and rented scooters on another. If you're a beach person don't miss Lanikai Beach - easily one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and overlooked by the tourists stumbling over one another on Waikiki.
Originally Posted By tashajilek "If you're a beach person don't miss Lanikai Beach - easily one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and overlooked by the tourists stumbling over one another on Waikiki" Thats a great tip Hans. We will have cars on both island's and will be exploring as much as possible.
Originally Posted By ksargen Tasha - on the Big Island, try to fit in a trip to the seahorse ranch. It is an amazing place. And where else in the world can you hold out your finger for a seahorse to hang onto? I've loved all the islands we've been to so far, but I'd be hard pressed to choose between Maui and Hawaii. They're all amazing in their own way...
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "And where else in the world can you hold out your finger for a seahorse to hang onto?" That sounds SO cool.
Originally Posted By tashajilek I read about it and that may be something we might consider. This so far has been the hardest vacation to plan. There are so many thing to see and do on both islands and never enough time. I guess i could always return again
