Are Disney parks no longer for the Middle class?

[RangerPooh]

Ok, I just priced a moderate for my travel dates. Family of 4, 8 nights, 9 day tickets with park hopper plus, staying at POR (I would have selected CBR but the standard rooms were all sold out). I am at $5647.52 before I add any dining or plane tickets (or fuel + hotel on the way + parking). Yes, I am able to go to Europe for this same time frame with everything included for similar or less than the Disney vacation that doesn't include food or travel to and from. If I want to add the dining plan, I'm at $7763.57, and I still haven't included my travel there and back.

This past summer we visited Disneyland Paris for not much more than a trip to WDW runs the 6 of us. Lodging at the Newport Bay Resort staying Compass Club Family Suite which included park tickets, breakfast, and afternoon snacks was about $4000. Our airfare was roughly another $4800. We ate counter service for lunch and dinner. Our trip cost us roughly $10k for over a week in Paris.

When I look at a comparable room at the Boardwalk for early June with hopper tickets it's running over $8700 without food, tax, or airfare included!

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

I would love to know how you are getting Europe for a week for less than $5000 all inclusive. Plane tickets alone are on the order of $900 pp, so for a family of 4, that leaves $1400 for hotel, food, admission to attractions, transportation, and incidentals. I just don't see how that is possible.

Plane tickets are the key. It was closer to $500 ea, and it's not terrible flight times or some no-name carrier either. I just keep an eye on airfare plus got lucky. You have to be willing to press BUY the minute you see tickets that low, and be flexible on where exactly you want to go.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

So where do you see you can get a better room discount at a moderate resort? Because what I see for the fall discount right now is 15% at moderates. I'm assuming spring will be a similar discount to fall. So when I plug in that discount, it takes my original $5600 rate down to around $5100 for room plus park tickets and nothing else.

There are many other ways to do things. My number 1 is renting DVC. This is our plan for a next trip. We will get a deluxe for about $30 a night more than the pop doing this. No way would I pay want they are asking for a moderate on our dates. My next choice after DVD would be the POP, or if that was unacceptable, look at one of the good neighbor offsite hotels that offer 60 day fast pass booking and EMH.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

Plane tickets are the key. It was closer to $500 ea, and it's not terrible flight times or some no-name carrier either. I just keep an eye on airfare plus got lucky. You have to be willing to press BUY the minute you see tickets that low, and be flexible on where exactly you want to go.

Never seen tickets that low for anywhere a reasonable drive from here , so that depends on where you live I guess. We drive to Disney, and can comfortably do it in a day. Costs less than $100 even when gas is pricey.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

Never seen tickets that low for anywhere a reasonable drive from here , so that depends on where you live I guess. We drive to Disney, and can comfortably do it in a day. Costs less than $100 even when gas is pricey.

How often do you search airfare prices just to various places? Do you have any price alerts set up to let you know when there's a good deal going on? You have to watch it regularly to find the good deals.

Renting DVC is something I should learn more about. I always thought there were some added risks like people not supposed to be renting out their points, or not getting money back in the event of cancellation, but I will admit I am uneducated. Sometimes I just go with what I know, which is find resort with room discount.

 

[LSUmiss]

Plane tickets are the key. It was closer to $500 ea, and it's not terrible flight times or some no-name carrier either. I just keep an eye on airfare plus got lucky. You have to be willing to press BUY the minute you see tickets that low, and be flexible on where exactly you want to go.

I think that also comes down to where you live. We are close enough to drive to wdw if we want so there are not many places we want to go that we can go for less since we don’t have to pay airfare.

 

[RangerPooh]

We started planning our trip to Europe a year and half in advance. We watched booked our stay at DLP with a special rate, might have been a stay 3 days get 3 free type deal. Or kids stay/play free. It was a great deal offered for a limited time. If we weren't a family of 6 and could have stayed in a regular room then we'd have gotten a better rate.

As for airfare DH watched it like a hawk. We were also willing to adjust our dates and stay elsewhere for a few days if needed. Which is what we did. We traveled elsewhere in Europe for a few days before DLP.

 

[Sandeep1]

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[Sandeep1]

I would love to know how you are getting Europe for a week for less than $5000 all inclusive. Plane tickets alone are on the order of $900 pp, so for a family of 4, that leaves $1400 for hotel, food, admission to attractions, transportation, and incidentals. I just don't see how that is possible.

Can't speak for others but I use points/miles when I travel abroad. I also use my SW points for domestic travel. So flight cost isn't a factor for me.

Just realized this thread was still alive, lol.

Been reading some of the recent post and am still trying to understand how everyone thinks Disney is either a luxury vacation destination, or how they can vacation elsewhere cheaper? (Especially the one comment on Europe)?

Not to quote my entire last post, but honestly, please someone tell me how Disney is anymore expensive than anywhere else out there short of your own back yard? We just came back from our yearly trip. Stayed at CBR for 13 nights with free dining, 9 day park hoppers and the waterpark option, all for right around $5500. That's a two week all inclusive vacation for a family of 4 to Walt Disney World for $5500! I'm sorry, that's still a BARGAIN for the entertainment and experience you are getting. Try doing a two week beach trip in anything other than a roach motel, by food, and do something other than swim all day for that kind of money. Now, I guess if you want to stay uber deluxe, Poly GF etc. and are spending $600 a night for just the hotel it gets crazy, but jeez, the mods and values are great resorts at very reasonable costs for what you are getting.

I know Disney is getting more expensive, been going for 20+ years, but honestly, we still feel it is one of the best values for your vacation dollar out there. We keep trying to plan another trip, mid west, grand canyon etc. etc., and for the length of stay we are used to, with hotel, flights, food etc., were talking double the cost of our usual Disney trips.

I just took a trip to Utah in June. 10 nights hitting all the amazing national parks there. I spent WAYYYYYYY less than I would have for Disney and the trip was absolutely amazing.

And no I didn't camp or stay in a rundown motel. I stayed in nice hotels.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

How often do you search airfare prices just to various places? Do you have any price alerts set up to let you know when there's a good deal going on? You have to watch it regularly to find the good deals.

Renting DVC is something I should learn more about. I always thought there were some added risks like people not supposed to be renting out their points, or not getting money back in the event of cancellation, but I will admit I am uneducated. Sometimes I just go with what I know, which is find resort with room discount.

My BIL has been a travel agent for almost 20 years. He knows what he is doing. We cannot get Europe for those prices.

DVC rentals are GREAT. There is absolutely NO policy against it.

Date flexibility is the one big drawback of renting. Once you book, your dates are locked in, and you typically have to cancel if they change. I typically go through a rental service. Most offer some type of cancellation insurance. If you choose to rent through a private individual, sometimes they will work with you on date changes, but you are trusting them to be honest. A rental service gives you a layer of protection.

The drawbacks are worth it for us. We typically don't cancel unless there is a true emergency, and I just cannot bring myself to pay deluxe prices, or rack rate for a moderate. They are just not worth it IMO. With DVC rental, we tpyically get a deluxe for somewhere around $20-30 a night more than a moderate. Sometimes, like the 2020 trip we are planning those process are even better. Our DVC rental is saving us about $400-600 over a moderate at the same time period, depending on which resort we are able to book. With it being a holiday, there likely won't be a great discount, so DVC made the most sense for this trip.

 

[disney junky]

I agree with those who make the case for it being a priority. As DVC owners, we go often, but we use our points frugally. I'm still surprised at the number of times I see people with "First Visit" badges. I have to remind myself that some of these people are on trips that are once in a lifetime trips, and perhaps they saved for years to be able to afford it, or perhaps they put in on a credit card that will take them years to pay off. Everyone is different.
One of our first trips, the kids were really young, and my grandmother had died and left us $5000. We didn't have much, but we decided to stay for a week at Dixie Landings (back in the 90's) with length of stay passes. It wasn't our first trip, but it was our first time staying for that long on site.

So in answer to the question, the average middle class family can't afford two or three trips a year, but if it's a priority, why not every other year.

 

[takemethere]

The price increases have definitely made me stop and look at other vacations. But everything is really expensive. I just was looking at hotel room near a college my DD wants to visit and some rooms closest to campus on a weekend are close to $400. (Decided to stay further out for much less). And that room technically only sleeps 4 and is nothing special. That makes rooms at Disney that can fit all 5 of us seem like a deal. I’m still trying to figure out how to do a European vacation for less than Disney. I’m not that knowledgeable on European travel but it seems that the flights alone are more than a week at Disney for us.

I took my 2 daughters to France for 9 days w/ a side trip to Belgium last summer from the NYC area and all in was 4200.00 airbnbs were key. We hit all the main Paris attractions. Best time ever. I was looking to take my son to WDW in the spring, nothing under 3k for the 2 of us, we wound up in Canada for less than 1k . WDW prices are crazy JMHO

 

[lucille104]

I agree that Disney is no longer for the lower or lower middle class. Not just by the prices but what they AREN'T building, Value Hotels! I get if a middle class family of four wants to go to Disney they will skimp and save. But it seems like every year the prices keep going up. I now believe Disney is just for the upper middle class and upper class. If Disney starts to build at least 2 more Value and 2 Moderate hotels, I might change my mind. Sadly, as of now it is too expensive for a lower/middle - middle class family of 4 to stay on property and enjoy all the benefits that Disney has to offer.

 

[Togadadof2]

Chiming in with my $.02 on Europe. We've also found we've been able to go to Europe for the same or less than Disney (and we do rent DVC points for our trips). Flights are definitely the key. We live in upstate NY and are able to easily drive to NYC and fly from there which helps. We've never paid more than $500/person for flights (family of 4) with a couple of the trips being closer to $300/person (all trips in Aug, so peak travel season). These were all on United and didn't have any of the crazy restrictions. It sounds insane, but it's usually cheaper for us to fly to Europe from NYC, than from Albany to Florida.

Once overseas, we've used a combination of Airbnbs and hotels, none of which have been crazy expensive. We're usually able to find something nice for around $200/night.

I watch the fares like crazy, set up alerts, and pounce when a sale hits. We've taken the kids overseas 4 times now and we all love it. We'll go back to Disney again, just not as often as we used to.

 

[RamblingMad]

The Disney Parks are expensive.

What do you consider middle class? And why don’t you consider the parks for the middle class?

 

[takemethere]

I don’t consider it a “class” thing at all. There are very wealthy people that wouldn’t pay the $$ and than there are lower income people that love it and save to go. Sadly my Disney days are over the world is too big.

 

[mousefanmichelle]

I can go on a cruise, get my food and some drinks paid for depending on ship board credit, my entertainment, balcony room and see great places for less than going to Disney. No brainer. I love staying on site and being in the bubble but I am not paying for parking at the hotels, the expense of the dining plan or any of it when I can get more for my money going elsewhere. They have out priced me 100%.

 

[disney junky]

We live 10 minutes from Dorney and get Hershey season passes, lol. (Hershey is maybe an hour away). Absolutely LOVE Hershey Park. It's our little bit of Disney at home, lol.

We live in the town next to Hershey and get season passes every year. We are so spoiled at the price. It's our Christmas gift each year to the kids and grandkids, and living so close, we run over, jump on a ride or two, parking is free, and we head home.

I'm retired and I keep debating getting a job there at which point, I wouldn't even need my own pass. Though working there might drive me crazy.

 

[Colleen27]

Been reading some of the recent post and am still trying to understand how everyone thinks Disney is either a luxury vacation destination, or how they can vacation elsewhere cheaper? (Especially the one comment on Europe)?

Not to quote my entire last post, but honestly, please someone tell me how Disney is anymore expensive than anywhere else out there short of your own back yard? We just came back from our yearly trip. Stayed at CBR for 13 nights with free dining, 9 day park hoppers and the waterpark option, all for right around $5500. That's a two week all inclusive vacation for a family of 4 to Walt Disney World for $5500! I'm sorry, that's still a BARGAIN for the entertainment and experience you are getting. Try doing a two week beach trip in anything other than a roach motel, by food, and do something other than swim all day for that kind of money.

That's some impressive bargain-hunting. I assume you live relatively nearby?

I don't see how we could do Disney even for a week for that money. A quick search gives me a price of $4951 for a 6-night moderate-resort package with 5 day hoppers, under the current discount offer. Add in airfare and we're at $6000+ before figuring in a single bite to eat, much less souvenirs or other extras. We can and do go a LOT of places cheaper than that, from Michigan beach towns to major cities. WDW got a boost in cost-competitiveness for a while because Orlando is one of the cheapest possible places to fly from Detroit for much of the year, but the resort price increases have consumed that advantage and then some over the last few years. But outside of WDW, I'm not necessarily looking for an all-inclusive resort experience; that tends to be something we do at Disney out of the inconvenience of going off-property but not a priority at "real world" destinations.

We spent five weeks on the road this summer for less than the cost of our last five-night Disney stay, and while that isn't apples to apples because we did camp for a lot of that time, we still spent 9 nights in decent hotels, including 2 days at Disneyland, and went to a lot of local attractions along the way.

 

[Disneychick75]

Our income puts us in the upper middle
class and we feel Disney has become very expensive. A few years ago, we took multiple WDW trips/ year. Now, we’re planning 2 more teips period. Next year, we’re bringing our son and grandson. The following year, we’re bringing our daughter, her wife, and their 3 children, then we’re done. We stopped staying onsite a few years ago because the cost of Disney rooms is ridiculous. It is not a matter of being able to afford the trips but one of spending wisely. With the money we save staying offsite, I can book a VIP tour and still have money to take a trip elsewhere.