Originally Posted By MPierce I guess it's really up to each individual to address what is right for them. In an upcoming series of post I will address the issue solely based on my opinions from my recent trip to WDW, 1/23/2009-02/01/2009. It will not be a bash fest as there were far more positive experiences than negative ones. It will however address the many issues I had as well as the cost of bringing the Magic into our lives. I think it would fair to say we all love Disney, and want what is best for an enjoyable, but affordable vacation to WDW. My plans are to issue an open invitation to Mr. Robert Iger, Mr Jay Rasulo, and Mrs Meg Crofton to read your thoughts as well as mine concerning WDW. So everybody feel free to post your comments, both positive, and negative. They may or may not choose to read the posts, however they will be invited to. To start with my total out of pocket expenses for everthing on this trip to WDW was $ 3,373.18. That's the least amount I've spent in a decade. Now that does not include the $462.00 of Disney rewards that I spent there or the $200 Disney bonus gift money offered in the buy 4 get 3 free promotion. if you include the cost of the 3 free nights and 3 day park hopper tickets along with the gift cards I would be up around the $5,000 mark. The break down goes this way. 8 day park hopper only, and 8 nights at the Wilderness Lodge courtyard view $2,318.76 for 2 adults insurance included. Round trip air fair for 2, Continetal Airlines $463.00 Checked baggage round trip $60.00 Food, snacks, ridiculously priced beer, souvenirs for family. tips for mouse keeping (love those towel animals), tips for meals, anything else I can't think of now $275.82 plus the free $200.00 gift card, plus the $464.00 rewards card. E.C.V. rental $255.60. That's right DOCTORS ORDERS if I wanted to go. Where is TDLFAN, he could easily run up my post count on this one subject. In the following days I will be addressing the cost of meals, and the quality of food at WDW. It would just get lost in a trip report are over on the dining board. I will be addressing each park individually for cleanliness, and entertainment value. Quality of WDW transportation. Quality of WDW CM's. Quality of Disney landscaping Quality of the guest I encountered. Quality of the resort I stayed in as well as the quality of housekeeping, and general staff. Most importantly that very intangible thing Disney likes to refer as Magic.
Originally Posted By dshyates I have reworked the phrase "nickle and dimed" for the Disney resort. They $20 and $50d me dizzy.
Originally Posted By fkurucz Given that I have not been to the World since 2003, my answer would be no. The Land on the other hand, yes.
Originally Posted By kennect The title to this thread wants to make think of the old saying about things being worth what someone is willing to pay for...Somehow over the last couple of years I learned that Disney needs me worse than I need them...I love going to WDW but just don't feel the need now to jump at any chance of going...Don't know exactly what made the difference for me...It could be any number of things combined that I am not realizing...Cost, lack of new attractions, etc...It will be interesting M to see how people respond to your post...
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I think that to an extent people expect this kind of thing on vacations. They know that things will be rediculously overpriced, and (for the most part) are willing to splurge because it's a vacation. There is a line at some point that people will stop paying for food and drinks and just start bringing their own. I don't know what that point is, but it sounds like they're getting close to it. At DLR, that price is probably much lower than WDW because it's very easy to leave the park and walk across the street or to DTD to find something of higher quality for a more reasonable price. At WDW, where people are essentially trapped, they have more wiggle room. People who don't rent a car for the week do have to expect a certain ammount of this, and are probably OK with it. Yes, it's rediculous to pay $9 for a burger and fries, plus another $3 for the drink, but you know what, I'm planning on paying that when I go to WDW in a couple months.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss As far as food is concerned, if I am going to spend a lot, I will spend it on food that I normally don't eat, or requires a bit more skill in preparing than a burger and fries. My guess is the value is dependent on how well-traveled an individual is; the more one gets around, the lesser the value WDW holds.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 So that's where MPierce has been hiding out ... and did he invite me up (at his expense, of course) to take me to dinner at say the California Grill? Hell no. Oh, and I didn't think you flew? LA or OC is only about another 75 minutes longer in the air from your neck of the woods. But I am going to enjoy reading your thoughts ... and at least you stayed at the right resort!
Originally Posted By MPierce I normally don't fly however I was forced into it this time around. I will never get on another airplane again if I can help it. I didn't eat at the California Grill this time. Once again I wish I had. Stay tuned for my dining review. >> Yes, it's rediculous to pay $9 for a burger and fries, plus another $3 for the drink, but you know what, I'm planning on paying that when I go to WDW in a couple months << 2 cold cheeseburger combo's 1 regular Coke, and 1 Bud Light came to $22.23. >> ..Somehow over the last couple of years I learned that Disney needs me worse than I need them... << I'm learning that lesson also. >> I hink that to an extent people expect this kind of thing on vacations. They know that things will be rediculously overpriced, and (for the most part) are willing to splurge because it's a vacation. << Sadly I agree. >> I have reworked the phrase "nickle and dimed" for the Disney resort. They $20 and $50d me dizzy << They still want your nickels, and dimes though. The Mouse wants it all!
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< I normally don't fly however I was forced into it this time around. I will never get on another airplane again if I can help it. >>> Why?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I normally don't fly however I was forced into it this time around. I will never get on another airplane again if I can help it.>> Bad experience? <<I didn't eat at the California Grill this time. Once again I wish I had. Stay tuned for my dining review.>> Sounds like multiple bad experiences? <<2 cold cheeseburger combo's 1 regular Coke, and 1 Bud Light came to $22.23.>> Well, I am sure they were magical cold cheeseburgers sprinkled with pixie dust (and hopefully no saliva from a CM about to be homeless!) >> ..Somehow over the last couple of years I learned that Disney needs me worse than I need them... << <<I'm learning that lesson also.>> It should scare the $hit out of Iger and Co that people like us feel that way. Because we may look for the deals and we may complain, but over time we spend more than most of the whales who come once or once in five years. I've barely used my AP this year. I could get in the car now and make it to EPCOT for dinner and Illuminations. At some point the sheer arrogance of their leadership is going to bite them all in a$$es. >> I hink that to an extent people expect this kind of thing on vacations. They know that things will be rediculously overpriced, and (for the most part) are willing to splurge because it's a vacation. << <<Sadly I agree.>> Yeah. But less now than ever ... and it will keep doing so unless Obama can be a true miracle worker.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> <<< I normally don't fly however I was forced into it this time around. I will never get on another airplane again if I can help it. >>> Why? << I have bad circulation problems in my legs, and I could not stay cooped up in a car for the trip, and I didn't want to stop and walk around every hour or so. >> <<I normally don't fly however I was forced into it this time around. I will never get on another airplane again if I can help it.>> Bad experience? << I use to fly all the time comercially, and privately. I've flown across the Pacific 4 times. A friend of mine had a Bonaza Beechcraft, and we were up in it almost every weekend. I even flew it myself a time or two. I was in two minor helicopter crashes in the late 60's, a near miss when we landing my friends plane at Hooks airport when we were caught in a wind shear. The straw that broke the camels back was flying into Salt Lake City for a late skiing trip in April. We were on a champagne flight, and the flight attendant got tired of bring us champagne so she just left the bottle. We found out later that they had experienced wind gust in excess of 100 miles per hour. Trucks had been blown off the interstate, and they had to close the ski lifts down in the surrounding area. Anyway we got caught by a massive gust as we were attempting to land. It blew the plane sideways, and I swear the tip of the wing looked like it was a foot off the ground. The piolet had to muscle the plane up, and abort the landing. He finally got us down, and people were applauing, and cheering, and I was stone cold sober. I flew back home 4 days later with a death grip on the arm rest of my seat. I didn't fly again until 2006, and then this trip in 2009. Both trips were to Walt Disney World. Never again. I thought if I give it one more try I could overcome my fear of flying. I didn't, so I'm done with it. There's just to much hassle involved in flying nowdays, when you throw in the fear factor it's just not worth it to me.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 ^^I dunno what to tell you other than that sucks. I actually feared flying for the longest time as I didn't do it regularly as a child (even though my dad owned a small plane ... and he crashed my uncle's plane once too and walked away just fine). I can still recall flights that were just horrible ... a NY Air (anyone remember them?) flight from NYC to South Florida in horrendous thunderstorms and turbulance ... an America West air rage flight that ended with FBI agents rushing on board pointing guns at us ... a flight that took off into the wind when we were under a Tropical Storm Warning and jolted to the side and numerous times I was stuck in coach next to an oversized person. That said, for years now I do a tremenous amount of flying. You can't be bicoastal or go to Europe or Asia and not fly. Well, not unless you have all the time in the world to drive or take a boat. I know I can sit here and tell you how you're safer in the air than you are at home or WDW or on any road or public place and that even when planes have accidents (VERY rare these days ... You have a better chance of replacing Bob Iger than you do of being in an air disaster) that in many times the people ALL walk away (just look at the US Air 'landing' in the Hudson, the Continental 737 that skidded off the runway in Denver a week before Christmas, the BA 777 that lost power and crash-landed just short of the runway or the Air Canada flight in Toronto in 2005). Still, when you have fear, however irrational, you have it. Meds would likely help. Therapy might as well. Maybe it isn't worth it to you. I dunno. But there are ways to overcome it. Bloody Marys in the great President's Club in the new terminal in IAH before you board don't hurt either.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<"Is WDW really worth the money">> YES. With DVC my lodging cost is covered. So for a 10 day vacation with my wife we spend about $500 for airfare, about $1,000 for dining, about $1,000 for miscellaneous (souvenirs, special events, etc.), and about $700 for a couple of DVC discounted Annual Passes. That amounts to a cost of $320 per day, and there is no other place on earth that I enjoy as much as WDW that I could visit for $320 per day.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss I like WDW... but I could also have a lot of fun in Vegas for $320 per day.
Originally Posted By dshyates And RT, since WDW is a family resort add an average of 2 kids into the equation.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<And RT, since WDW is a family resort add an average of 2 kids into the equation.>> People who go with kids are nuts. ;-)
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<You forgot to factor in the $10,000 DVC+maintence fees.>> DVCers always have a tendancy to do this. There's a basic cost upfront (or financed for years) and last I checked you had to spend at least $16,000 to buy in. And then there are those pesky fees that aren't pocket change either. The trips aren't 'free' even after the above are paid and certainly not before.
