My Slow Divorce from Walt Disney World

[DCLMP]

9% Costco Travel discount, 2% additional for Costco Executive members, 4.5% discount when using Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card.

I’m glad you clarified all that. I thought you were actually getting a 15% discount.

 

[DCLMP]

Like key west prices in Hawaii are also way up. Vegas room prices are not bad but everything else is way overpriced. Good luck getting a room in Yosemite. Travel is too popular know. People complain about Disney but the parks are sold out weeks in advance. Someone is going

Don’t you think this might have something to do with inflation. Not demand. There are different types of inflation.

 

[BrightMorningStar]

I used to see Disney through rose colored glasses but I no longer do. I remember learning that Disney did not sell newspapers on property on one of my first visits. The escapism it offered me was enchanting and I was willing to pay the price. No longer.
The stench of politics is too heavy. It’s offer of escaping the real world is gone. Too much planning and not enough value for the money.
I imagine my family of four are WDW’s target audience. We spend 8-12k a year visiting. We stay at the deluxe resorts, eat every meal on property and buy souvenirs. I would add that we are pass holders but it is clear that Disney sees no value in that.
We have one last family trip planned this month. We do have a January trip planned with in-laws but I think we will do Sea World instead. On our ‘Disney’ vacation budget we have planned a trip to Yellowstone/ Grand Teton, a Royal Caribbean cruise and a skiing trip. We will renew our Busch gardens and buy Sea World passes too.

Nailed it!!!

 

[longboard55]

My take, its been a horrid 2 1/2 years between covid and wars and inflation and a lot of people are looking for a dog to kick. It will pass with time.

 

[DCLMP]

My take, its been a horrid 2 1/2 years between covid and wars and inflation and a lot of people are looking for a dog to kick. It will pass with time.

I don’t see any correlation between Genie plus and any of the above.

 

[KayMichigan]

My sister and I went for the first time in May, 2019. We really enjoyed the trip but aren't in a hurry to go back any more. A lot of the stuff we enjoyed during the trip is gone.

Magical Express - gone.

Free luggage service straight to the room - gone.

Free Fast Pass - gone.

Extra Magic Hours for value hotels (we stayed at Pop) - gone.

Being able to Park Hop any time you want to any park you want - gone.

I've checked the menus of some of the places we ate at and the food options seem so limited now.

We'll probably go back someday but right now we're waiting to see if they ever bring back park hopping without reservations or something that's closer to Magical Express. We're just glad we went before they changed so much.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Don’t you think this might have something to do with inflation. Not demand. There are different types of inflation.

Overall, we're still experiencing a supply shock...which is continuing to drive inflation higher. The demand conundrum comes once the central banks raise rates high enough to slow down the economy enough to send us into recession. There are still "excess funds" floating around out there. I saw a BOFA economist on CNBC today saying that the bottom 25% of income earners still have higher checking/savings balances than they did pre-covid. Wages have risen the most in that quartile as well...prerserving their savings for now. That will obviously not hold....increased wages aren't keeping up with current inflation, so those funds will draw down. Recession seems likely next year, but not the end of the world. We're overdue for a recession. People are willing to pay exorbitant prices now for services...travel in particular because many are just coming out of the pandemic gate...particularly the over 55 crowd....the crowd with the most dough to blow.

 

[longboard55]

On inflation, it really seems a lot is coming from the low wage earners. Locally to get someone to work at McDonalds or Target they are getting $18 an hour, 3 years ago it was more like $12. More money in workers hands means more going to Disney. I really do not see the interest rate connection other than what it is doing to mortgage rates

 

[Planogirl]

Are wages going for any but entry level workers? I thought that wages were otherwise pretty stagnant.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I don’t see any correlation between Genie plus and any of the above.

There isn't.

It is just like Disney to mess around with stuff. They already had a paid system at DL before the pandemic (MaxPass). But nope they felt the need to create some other new monster.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

I've been separated from Disney for a few years now. I've had a couple of visits so not completely divorced. One being this past Sept. and a family cruise this coming Sept. I took a destination vacation in MX a few years ago and learned that there really is life beyond Disney and honestly that shocked me that I would feel that way. I don't like Genie+, LL, park reservation, park hopping, class separation when staying on property meaning extra hours only for Deluxe, pre ordering counter service meals, no variety of souvenirs and the list goes on. I don't like having to live on my phone while on a vacation like we did in Sept. I like going with the flow but that isn't reality anymore.

I have cruised DCL from it's inception and was one of the first to earn platinum status. Always cruised the specialty cruises and MV cruises, also. Once they started concierge only areas I quit DCL and picked up cruising with Viking in Europe for about the same money. Much smaller ships, all rooms are veranda rooms, excursions included. They don't segregate according to class. Once onboard, all areas are enjoyed by all. I feel DCL has gone back to Titanic days and Viking treats all equally including the ones in suites. I want to be valued as a customer and not according to my pocketbook. I will be on the Wish in Sept. It will be interesting to see how I feel going back to DCL.

 

[DCLMP]

On inflation, it really seems a lot is coming from the low wage earners. Locally to get someone to work at McDonalds or Target they are getting $18 an hour, 3 years ago it was more like $12. More money in workers hands means more going to Disney. I really do not see the interest rate connection other than what it is doing to mortgage rates

Inflation is not coming from low wage earners. We have a supply problem combined with an increase in the money supply. The increase in money supply is attributed to low interest rates, but also other factors.
I personally don’t see how anyone making 18 dollars an hour could afford WDW right now. Not with the price of food and gas being so high.

 

[DCLMP]

Are wages going for any but entry level workers? I thought that wages were otherwise pretty stagnant.

Minimum wage has gone up, but wages aren’t keeping up with the rate of inflation. Most people get what 3-4% a raise if that.

 

[DCLMP]

Overall, we're still experiencing a supply shock...which is continuing to drive inflation higher. The demand conundrum comes once the central banks raise rates high enough to slow down the economy enough to send us into recession. There are still "excess funds" floating around out there. I saw a BOFA economist on CNBC today saying that the bottom 25% of income earners still have higher checking/savings balances than they did pre-covid. Wages have risen the most in that quartile as well...prerserving their savings for now. That will obviously not hold....increased wages aren't keeping up with current inflation, so those funds will draw down. Recession seems likely next year, but not the end of the world. We're overdue for a recession. People are willing to pay exorbitant prices now for services...travel in particular because many are just coming out of the pandemic gate...particularly the over 55 crowd....the crowd with the most dough to blow.

A lot depends on what happens with the war and how much it expands. We’re already in a economic war that’s changing the world order. I’m not of the opinion that this is is a nothing burger. Time will tell and there’s no point arguing about . We have different views that’s been established in other threads.

I’m not sure the 55 plus crowd is Disneys target audience and that is the group with most to lose.

 

[_19disnA]

Too funny, when I see someone complain about Disney and politics I interpret that to mean they don't agree with Disney's position. Rarely do I see someone complain who agrees with Disney's point of view.

 

[DCLMP]

I don't care about the political views of CEOs because they don't represent the people that work there. Boycotts hurt the economy and don't accomplish much. If I'm going to divorce a company it's going to be because I no longer like their product or I don't find value in it.

 

[goofy4prez]

My take, its been a horrid 2 1/2 years between covid and wars and inflation and a lot of people are looking for a dog to kick. It will pass with time.

Unfortunately for me and so many others, we kicked the dog because the dog bit us first. I have been a Disney apologist for many years and enjoyed Disney with my nice shiny pair of rose-colored glasses. Even when the dog (Disney) would growl, I just ignored it and told the dog how much I loved it. But once it struck out and bit me it was time to take the dog to the pound.

No passing with time for me and I'm sure many others. Sure, there will be many that with time will be singing the praises of Disney and saying how they feel the magic again and the pixie dust is in the air. And I truly wish them the best of times. But there are going to be many that with the time that has passed, so has Disney.

 

[john7994]

Unfortunately for me and so many others, we kicked the dog because the dog bit us first. I have been a Disney apologist for many years and enjoyed Disney with my nice shiny pair of rose-colored glasses. Even when the dog (Disney) would growl, I just ignored it and told the dog how much I loved it. But once it struck out and bit me it was time to take the dog to the pound.

No passing with time for me and I'm sure many others. Sure, there will be many that with time will be singing the praises of Disney and saying how they feel the magic again and the pixie dust is in the air. And I truly wish them the best of times. But there are going to be many that with the time that has passed, so has Disney.

Your signature line says the opposite, so you might want to update that ...

 

[goofy4prez]

Your signature line says the opposite, so you might want to update that ...

Fair enough... Changed.

 

[mom2rtk]

There isn't.

It is just like Disney to mess around with stuff. They already had a paid system at DL before the pandemic (MaxPass). But nope they felt the need to create some other new monster.

The pandemic and subsequent closing (albeit short in FL) handed them a golden opportunity to "reset".