Need to vent about how expensive WDW is now

[disneydreamer1980]

We are DVC, so we’re not “paying” for our resort in our budget for our 2 week annual trip for our family of 7, and we still end up spending a ridiculous amount of money each trip. I can’t imagine if we had to pay for the resort too. Tickets alone are around $5000. We go to Europe frequently to visit family and we spend significantly less on that trip than we do Disney. Same length of time. Insane.

 

[lanejudy]

Next December our family of 4 is staying at Drury Plaza at Disney Springs - it’s a good neighbour hotel, so you get early entry.

Just to clarify because I see this all the time and it's a major misunderstanding...

Drury Plaza is a Disney Springs Area Hotel and yes it qualifies for early entry to WDW theme parks.

The Good Neighbor Resorts are a different set of resorts and actually do NOT qualify for early entry or any other WDW perk.

 

[Smugpugmug]

I have an annual pass and do weekend trips using the AP discount for either the All Stars or Riverside but yeah the cost for day tickets and the deluxe hotels are nuts. I've done trips outside the country for significantly less. The other day I was on video chat with my friend who invited me on a trip to Turkey in 2025 and mapping out the expenses was eyeopening for me. Even with flights it would be way cheaper than a trip to WDW for the same amount of time.

 

[tony67]

We are DVC, so we’re not “paying” for our resort in our budget for our 2 week annual trip for our family of 7, and we still end up spending a ridiculous amount of money each trip. I can’t imagine if we had to pay for the resort too. Tickets alone are around $5000. We go to Europe frequently to visit family and we spend significantly less on that trip than we do Disney. Same length of time. Insane.

Yeah - always boggled my mind what people would spend to go to Epcot when they could do Europe for so much less.

Much of that depends on the exchange rate though - right now its almost even and I look at it as even - I've been at times when it was about 1.80 for a Euro - that really changes things.

Price of Airfare as well - but its not always cheap to go to Orlando - I've paid between 59 and 300 each way over the last couple of years on Jet Blue. Europe is not all that much more expensive - sometimes 500-600 roundtrip.

Having family there does help a lot, but even without that hotels can be very reasonable depending on the country.

 

[lanejudy]

OP - yes, prices at WDW have skyrocketed as well as prices for many other things - vacations or otherwise. Disney was always a premium-priced vacation. There are ways to trim costs and still have a terrific vacation at WDW, but it may depend on your expectations and willingness to make changes from your past vacation(s). Some good suggestions in this threads.

 

[Ursula J]

OP, since you said you mainly wanted to vent, let me just say I understand. It's got to be hard wanting to give your family a dream vacation--especially since you'll be doing that "last trip" before your son's college--and then finding out how expensive it is. If it's worth it to you and you're able to save up, you'll get lots of great tips here (aside from the apparent advice above of "get rich" which is maybe not a plan for most of us lol). But I get it. It's overwhelming!

 

[shh]

Agree - it’s not just Disney. I was arguing with my wife about the cost of Splitsville at DS for 1 lane and a party of 8 (they said we could not have 2 lanes) it’s $350 for 2 hours which I thought was insane. I looked up the cost of the equivalent bowling alley in Kissimmee (Kissimmee lanes) and it was $339 for the same situation. Bowling now costs an arm and a leg!

the last time I went bowling - maybe a few years ago - it was like $20 for 2 people for 2 hours...including shoe rental. What the heck? We are living in insane times.

 

[barkley]

We are DVC, so we’re not “paying” for our resort in our budget for our 2 week annual trip for our family of 7, and we still end up spending a ridiculous amount of money each trip. I can’t imagine if we had to pay for the resort too. Tickets alone are around $5000. We go to Europe frequently to visit family and we spend significantly less on that trip than we do Disney. Same length of time. Insane.

we used to own dvc and once it was paid in full it still felt like we were paying for lodging by virtue of our dues-i can't imagine how expensive they are now cuz they were not cheap back when the 2 we owned at were new/nearly new construction with lower maintainance costs.

that aside-our vacations still cost us quite a bit between airfare, meals, tickets...so we ended up doing trips every couple of years by banking or borrowing (saved us airfare wise and we could still buy non expiring tickets so we used those for years on end). we also took advantage of using our points for cruises-that way our meals were free (and back then you were not limited to just disney cruiselines). we opted to sell when dvc made some big changes that limited or entirely eliminated using it outside disney properties (i think a good number of people did, similar to when dvc discontinued including free park passes to owners).

 

[afan]

the last time I went bowling - maybe a few years ago - it was like $20 for 2 people for 2 hours...including shoe rental. What the heck? We are living in insane times.

Guessing part of the difference is whether it's a regular bowling alley vs something like splitsville where it's more of a "experience" so to speak than a place you go to bowl that also hosts leagues.

 

[loves to dive]

Op, I feel ya. But, to be fair, WDW has always been expensive. We started going back in 1983 when the only resorts on property were deluxe or Shades of Green (which was not a military resort at the time) or the Fort. Back then I was a single mom with a toddler. It would take me 2 years to save up. In the off year we would just take a couple of 3 night trips to somewhere within driving distance and stay in something like a Holiday Inn. Thankfully, living in Georgia we did have options like the beach or Gatlinburg or even Dollywood. We didn't go out to eat much but when we did, I would share a happy meal with my son. His toys mostly came from the dollar store or discounted at the toy store. He was aware even at 3 what we were saving money for so he was on board.

My go to resort used to be YC, then it went to Dolphin. Now, even that is getting out of hand when you add on the resort fee and the parking fee I can almost stay at BW, especially if there is a discount going on. I tend to stay at CSR now, I think of it as a deluxe lite. Yes, you have to ride the bus but you have to do that at AKL as well. I get it though, for that once in a life time trip CR is expensive but, hopefully, the memories will worth it.

 

[TwoMisfits]

No, but park passes are about 100 dollars a day.

Annual passes are 90

So if you are planing on 150 per person per day. That is 60 dollars for food, airfare, and accommodations……

Not sure how that works, or if it works at all….

It works by not going to a park every day of the trip. Some folks can't afford to and find ways to enjoy FL and the area that cost a lot less on "down days"...

 

[barkley]

Guessing part of the difference is whether it's a regular bowling alley vs something like splitsville where it's more of a "experience" so to speak than a place you go to bowl that also hosts leagues.

i was curious so i just checked the 'experience' type place near us (has an indoor waterpark, arcade, bumper boats, laser tag, ropes course, go carts, ziplines....). for bowling it runs-

PER PERSON-$6 per game or $32 per hour/per lane (or a person can pay $42 and have unlimited bowling and access to everything except the waterpark and axe throwing for 4 continuous hours).

 

[tvguy]

I don’t know how people afford WDW anymore. The ticket prices alone are insane. $500 per person for a 3 day non park hopper for March. You would think that people would be priced out, but when you go to the parks, they are still packed.

OP, we stopped going to Disney and started cruising on the Disney fantasy. We just sailed on a 7 night for $3200 on an OGT rate. So much more affordable than the parks and so much more relaxing. Good luck with your trip!

But as you know from the Cruise Line forum, many would not think twice about spending $20-25,000 for that same cruise in Concierge level......some taking more than one cruise a year at that price.

 

[meremac]

How did you get pricing for Spring Break 2025?

 

[tony67]

WDW has always been expensive.

Disney was always a premium-priced vacation.

Not picking on you two - several folks said this and I totally disagree.

Was not particularly well off as a kid and the first time we went to Disney we drive over 24 hours straight in a van with another family - my Dad's boss who was also he best friend. He was very well off - but very cheap.

We cooked hotdogs in the room at the Days Inn on a hot plate some days and went out to eat on I drive other days - so no doubt on a tight budget.

My dads friend had told us how expensive everything was at the restaurants at Epcot so we did not even look till the last day and it was actually quite reasonable, even for us. My mother was very annoyed by that - for many years - since at that point it was going to be our only trip to Disney. To be fair he had 6 kids, but the kids meals were very reasonable.

Several years later and things were better we started going to Disney more often and we always found it surprisingly reasonable. I know you always hear how Walt would not have liked this or that, but I do feel like keeping it reasonable for families may have been part of Walt's vision - well still turning a profit of course.

I feel like it really changed when the DDP plan came along - prices went up to make that look like a better value and quality dropped.

I know I always pick on the DDP but that is really when it all went south for me - a few years into the DDP.
I know for others it made the difference - but was some of that because they drive the prices up?

And now we are at the point where I feel they nickel and dime you for everything - when I hear Adam the Woo say he paid $20 to ride Tron I am just boggled - yeah an hour of my time is worth more than $20 - but paying $20 to Ride Tron after paying $140 to get in - just wow. (I know Adam has an AP but I still would not pay it).

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Was not particularly well off as a kid and the first time we went to Disney we drive over 24 hours straight in a van with another family -

Where I grew up just about no one went to Disney, that was a pipe dream. I too as a young kid was in a car over 2 days to Disney with 3 dogs although I was also staying in the FL area for several weeks as we were visiting my stepmom's family. But just because we drove there didn't mean it wasn't a destination that for many was not really in the cards. Eating hot dogs in the hotel room does not negate the costs of the destination point either.

And just because I was able to and did do Disney for far less than it costs now does not mean that it wasn't always a destination where it took more than the average family could give. Disney is but one type of those places but others exist.

 

[wabbott]

Not picking on you two - several folks said this and I totally disagree.

Was not particularly well off as a kid and the first time we went to Disney we drive over 24 hours straight in a van with another family - my Dad's boss who was also he best friend. He was very well off - but very cheap.

We cooked hotdogs in the room at the Days Inn on a hot plate some days and went out to eat on I drive other days - so no doubt on a tight budget.

My dads friend had told us how expensive everything was at the restaurants at Epcot so we did not even look till the last day and it was actually quite reasonable, even for us. My mother was very annoyed by that - for many years - since at that point it was going to be our only trip to Disney. To be fair he had 6 kids, but the kids meals were very reasonable.

Several years later and things were better we started going to Disney more often and we always found it surprisingly reasonable. I know you always hear how Walt would not have liked this or that, but I do feel like keeping it reasonable for families may have been part of Walt's vision - well still turning a profit of course.

I feel like it really changed when the DDP plan came along - prices went up to make that look like a better value and quality dropped.

I know I always pick on the DDP but that is really when it all went south for me - a few years into the DDP.
I know for others it made the difference - but was some of that because they drive the prices up?

And now we are at the point where I feel they nickel and dime you for everything - when I hear Adam the Woo say he paid $20 to ride Tron I am just boggled - yeah an hour of my time is worth more than $20 - but paying $20 to Ride Tron after paying $140 to get in - just wow. (I know Adam has an AP but I still would not pay it).

Our first trip to WDW as old marrieds of one (1) year was in 1979, and we stayed at the Days Inn on US 192.

 

[cvjw]

But as you know from the Cruise Line forum, many would not think twice about spending $20-25,000 for that same cruise in Concierge level......some taking more than one cruise a year at that price.

Yep. Those suites are always filled! We have sailed 4 weeks this year on the fantasy. We take that $20,000 and spend a month on the fantasy instead of one week in a nicer cabin! Everyone has to spend based on their finances and their comfort level with the prices!

 

[thanxfornoticin]

And just because I was able to and did do Disney for far less than it costs now does not mean that it wasn't always a destination where it took more than the average family could give. Disney is but one type of those places but others exist.

Agreed. Disney has always been one of those locations we'd have to save up for and pay a little extra to enjoy as a family - and we were there in 1972 already. Everything is costing more these days, and a Disney vacation is absolutely in that category. But just like back in the 70s, it's a choice. If it's too expensive to do Disney, save a wait a year, or find someplace else that might be cheaper.

 

[tvguy]

Yep. Those suites are always filled! We have sailed 4 weeks this year on the fantasy. We take that $20,000 and spend a month on the fantasy instead of one week in a nicer cabin! Everyone has to spend based on their finances and their comfort level with the prices!

Our last cruise was October 2019 on Celebrity. Off peak time Pacific Coast cruise, last one of the season. $600 a person for a balcony cabin for 7 days. And they they had a promotion offering their top level trip insurance for $25 a person.