Compromising or just priced out?

[Davey Jones II]

So I am deep in trip planning and it is exciting. But, while we have not been priced out (yet) we already have had to make a big compromise: no Universal on this trip. On all our previous Orlando jaunts, we visited both WDW (8-10 days) and Universal (2-3 days). This trip, we are doing just ten days at Disney, and two of those nights will be off-site. We always stay at value resorts.

Previously, we could visit both theme park resorts for about $1500 each (two adults), including flights from Canada. Now we will be shelling out about 2K apiece, as we did last year, but Universal is now out of the picture. Yes, some of that is due to the high Canada-U.S. exchange rate, but most of it is due to theme park inflation.

Okay, we accepted that, but I was wondering how many of you have had to make compromises and settle for less while paying the same or more?

 

[Mambo Junkie]

We are skipping Universal this time. It has gone up considerably as well. We are doing a short trip this time, and it doesn't seem worth the money for 1 day at Universal. Just doing Disney this time, part on property and part off. Policies like paying to park even though onsite, is just another perk that would entice us to stay at a Disney resort, but we have so many early morning plans, and with paying to park either way, and add to that spotty bus transportation, it's just as easy to drive in and park. Then we know we will be on time. Some of the money we are saving by staying offsite we are putting into party tickets (125.00 each) and HS EMM. Crazy. We have also cut back to every other year.

 

[FigmentSpark]

We do offsite rental and drive to keep our costs down.

 

[Tomh]

We went from staying onsite at a moderate resort to staying offsite. That has been our only compromise so far.

 

[Marionnette]

So I am deep in trip planning and it is exciting. But, while we have not been priced out (yet) we already have had to make a big compromise: no Universal on this trip. On all our previous Orlando jaunts, we visited both WDW (8-10 days) and Universal (2-3 days). This trip, we are doing just ten days at Disney, and two of those nights will be off-site. We always stay at value resorts.

Previously, we could visit both theme park resorts for about $1500 each (two adults), including flights from Canada. Now we will be shelling out about 2K apiece, as we did last year, but Universal is now out of the picture. Yes, some of that is due to the high Canada-U.S. exchange rate, but most of it is due to theme park inflation.

Okay, we accepted that, but I was wondering how many of you have had to make compromises and settle for less while paying the same or more?

We bought into DVC during the recession, when resale contracts were going for dirt cheap compared to current prices and DVC was not buying back. Best move we ever made. So, my onsite stays are locked in at a very low rate.

However, airfare and ticket prices are really having a negative affect on our budget. We are more likely to "dine in" at our villa rather than make ADRs at signature restaurants. And we buy an AP every other year (with a DVC discount) in order to get at least two long visits out of them. We used to just go if the mood hit us and use tickets from UT or another discounter. Now the trips are planned more than a year in advance in order to maximize our use of DVC points and APs. We are also using airline miles to book flights but that takes a little ingenuity and flexibility because some airline don't have the same "every seat, every flight" approach that Southwest has. But at least I can still manage to work around those rising costs.

For me, the biggest negative is Disney itself. The latest MDE glitch and their inability to fix it rapidly has me questioning whether all of the effort of a Disney vacation is worth it when all it takes is an IT hiccup to make the house of cards come tumbling down. I dread the thought of being at Disney when this happens. And it seems to happen with increasing frequency.

 

[buzznina]

We did not even go this year, only the 2nd year in the last 14

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

Disney has been relentless in raising the price of tickets, resort rack rates, adding fees, food prices, and offering fewer discounts.
I have possessed an AP since about 2008 and used to visit WDW about 4-5 times a year with some stays off site and some at a value resort.

The costs have gone up so much, I will be letting my AP lapse and may just go once a year in December to take in the decorations.

A Universal AP has also gone up a whole lot. When they jumped up the cost of my renewal there a huge amount, I let it lapse a couple of years ago.

 

[maxiesmom]

I am not that hung up on what level of resort I stay at, so it doesn't feel like I am compromising if I stay at a value instead of a moderate. For my trip next month Priceline and Hotwire was how are able to afford to stay so long at the Swan and Dolphin. If we hadn't found those discounts we would be at a Disney moderate.

 

[locke0479]

Honestly, while Disney prices have gone up some over the years, that hasn't been my issue. My biggest issue that forces me to compromise is the prices for flights. I can deal with the Disney price increases, but I'm paying way more for less options on flights than I used to, which this year forced us to cut Universal out of the trip as well. I'd drive, but I live in the Northeast and while I don't mind driving and it would be cheaper to rent a car, pay for parking, and pay for gas even if we don't get a hotel on the way down, a 20+ hour drive packed into a car with 3 adults and 2 kids is rough, and honestly, due to work, we'd be forced to cut two days off our stay to account for driving time.

 

[Shanti]

I was wondering how many of you have had to make compromises and settle for less while paying the same or more?

I'm not really interested in settling for less while paying more. Yes, I've noticed the price hikes & cutbacks, and they've led me to look at other vacation destinations and other lodging near WDW rather than giving most of my vacation budget to Disney. I'm not cutting myself off from Disney: we'll always visit because we enjoy it. But as a result of all of these issues, I've looked (and booked) elsewhere, so we'll be doing a lot more other types of trips, instead of just Disney multiple times a year. Win win. Thanks, Disney, for opening my eyes to what else is out there!

 

[Aimee Wolfe]

I was quite shocked at the prices as well. I did it as cheap as I possibly could and it was still about 5 grand for me and my daughter with airfare from Syracuse staying at a value resort for 9 nights, no dining plan. Being Canadian and having to factor in exchange makes it that much worse. By contrast we went to Cuba all inclusive for 1400 total...not Disney but still. I was shocked at the price increases on food, 5.50 for an icecream bar, 3.00 for a bottle of water. Just crazy. They are going to price most middle class travellers out of the market. I also had to not buy universal tickets (170.00 each for 1 day!)
We had 1 sit down table meal...it was breakfast and it cost 80.00 US for 1 adult and 1 child.

 

[Dean Marino]

Welll? My Dear deceased Father had a phrase - I learned it long ago....

"Go Big, or go HOME"

Now I am 66.... my Father was wise.

All personal opinion - I'm not necessarily right, no one else is necessarily wrong.

 

[ice cube]

Welll? My Dear deceased Father had a phrase - I learned it long ago....

"Go Big, or go HOME"

Now I am 66.... my Father was wise.

All personal opinion - I'm not necessarily right, no one else is necessarily wrong.

Don't mean to get of topic but that's my baby brothers (age 46) saying...as my girls say all the time hey dad UB (short for uncle rob) says "GO Big or Go Home".....lamo

 

[snappy]

Don't mean to get of topic but that's my baby brothers (age 46) saying...as my girls say all the time hey dad UB (short for uncle rob) says "GO Big or Go Home".....lamo

Not exactly sure what it means but I like the sound of it.

 

[Princessclab]

'Going big' even has its limitations. When do you draw the line?
Things at Disney are somewhat on the edge of unreasonable to those of us who go frequently, IMHO.
However, new comers will never know how great things were before. So they will spend.
So we can only mourn what was and go when we can to try to experience what we can.
Very sad really, IMHO. I'll miss those days.....

Have fun everyone!

 

[ice cube]

Not exactly sure what it means but I like the sound of it.

It means go for it all the way (spend the money) or stay home....

 

[ice cube]

'Going big' even has its limitations. When do you draw the line?
Things at Disney are somewhat on the edge of unreasonable to those of us who go frequently, IMHO.
However, new comers will never know how great things were before. So they will spend.
So we can only mourn what was and go when we can to try to experience what we can.
Very sad really, IMHO. I'll miss those days.....

Have fun everyone!

I agree my first experience was in 1995 the World (WDW) was definitely a different place. Our first Christmas stay was 2007 and 11 years later its not the same. The decorations have disappeared from
what they were back then. Last year I was talking to a family about this subject and since it was their first Christmas they were awed. My wife and I explained what they use to put up, what is missing
here and there. They responded with they should be adding not taking away....I said "welcome to the World of Disney"

 

[mi*vida*loca]

What goes up must come down.

Eventually Disney will hit a wall and they will have to offer crazy deals like the early 2000s. When that happens I may or may not jump all over it depending on our likes at that time.

 

[JennyDrake]

I've been an AP holder for 15 of the last 21 years. I have a business ad I am well aware of price increases, but WDW is getting over the top. With AP discount in the off season, less than 10 years ago I could stay for $59-69/night - now it's over $100 -- for a value. The little things like parking (even though I seldom drive) and the rising CS food costs....

WDW has priced me out of TS meals. I used to do one every other day. Then it was 1 per trip (most trips 4-5 days). Now it is none. Not only are they grossly overpriced, but they are grossly overpriced for the QUALITY. FWIW last year ate at Citricos (someone else was paying!) and we got pork belly appetizer, which was excellent! It was also $18 for TWO bites....

 

[GiJohnsGirl]

I just bought a bubble wand for $27 ...... it wasn't that long ago it was under 20$. I remember when DS had to have a mickey balloon for $11 bucks 8 years ago...I am sure that's over $25 too. Everything we bought for all 3 kids was 25+ (hats, toys, etc). We got lucky on a good airline sale and I overbudgeted, but we did a deluxe for 5 days with dinning plan and it cost is about 5,000. We used to do values same ddp about 3,000. Our family drove 2 hours to fly out of the cheaper airline.