Is Disney World Eroding Fan Goodwill?
While reading the comments to the recent news about Walt Disney World charging for parking, I noticed many readers indicated that this was their tipping point: they were done with WDW. This has been a trend I’ve in comments to stories of this kind the last couple of years. More and more one-time fans seem fed up with what they view as nickel and diming, and practices that don’t value them as customers.
It’s easy to write off these comments as hollow words that won’t be backed up with action when it comes time to book their next vacation. Impassioned initial responses will give way to cooler thinking or ways to adjust behavior and ‘make it work’ to continue feeding the Disney addiction. The internet being what it is, there is no doubt some (a lot) of that.
However, dismissing the chorus of complaints out of hand would be foolish. I’ve been around the fan community a while, and have seen a lot of people move on the last few years; fans with thousands of posts suddenly disappearing or social media accounts changing their focus. These are just the prominent, visible examples. If even the most passionate fans felt alienated, no doubt more casual lurkers have reached their own tipping point. For me, this raises a couple of interesting questions: has Walt Disney World eroded fan goodwill, and if so, will that have negative ramifications down the road?
For those unfamiliar with the term, goodwill is basically the consumer relationship with and perception of the brand “Disney.” What you think when you hear the word, the loyalty you have as a result of past experiences, and how likely you are to be an advocate for the company. (This is all reductionist, but it provides a working understanding of the term, and why it’s a significant intangible asset for Walt Disney World.)
In Walt Disney World fandom, this manifests itself in myriad ways. People accumulate thousands of posts on fan forums, spend their hours discussing the parks on social media, and even descend upon the comments sections of articles critical of the parks. People spread the ‘Disney gospel’ to family and friends. Heck, it even leads the most overzealous fans to start blogs about Disney, documenting every experience, no matter how insignificant.
Historically, the Walt Disney Company as a whole has enjoyed exceptional consumer goodwill. Last year, Forbes ranked it as the #6 most powerful brand in the world (#1 was LEGO). The year before that, Disney claimed the #1 spot in Forbes’ measure of goodwill. Those impressive rankings sort of beg the titular question here. However, I’d argue that there’s a significant difference between goodwill for Disney and goodwill for Walt Disney World, which is a subset of the former.
For Disney as a whole, it’s easy to see why goodwill is so high. The company has a solid reputation as being family-friendly, producing toys and television shows that kids love. Then there are the Disney and Pixar-branded animated films; both studios have enjoyed an impressive streak of films that are well-received by families. (I’m inclined to withhold Star Wars and Marvel from consideration here, as I’m not entirely sure the average consumer associates those with Disney.)
Evaluating the theme parks is a bit trickier. Whereas every first-run movie, regardless of quality, costs the same amount to see, theme parks exist in a world of vacation destinations that are not exactly apples to apples comparisons for a multitude of reasons. Pricing, crowds, nature of the experience, etc., all vary dramatically, making head to head comparisons exceedingly difficult.
It’s entirely possible that Walt Disney World enjoys a similar level of goodwill as the Walt Disney Company as a whole. Given the prevalence of “Disney parks are overpriced, tourist traps” articles and sentiment in the mainstream, I find that a very difficult premise to accept.
Walt Disney World does enjoy its own unique reputation, earned from decades of its–and Disneyland’s–existence. The United States Disney parks are viewed as rite of passage vacation destinations where parents, even the most cynical and Disney-averse, take their children. Hugging Mickey Mouse (and capturing the photo to prove it!), getting that first flight on Dumbo, being tall enough to ride Space Mountain, etc., all are experiences that have become ingrained in our culture. Suffice to say, Walt Disney World is an American institution, and a place many people aspire to visit.
Among the general public–the ones who don’t read blogs like this–experiencing this cultural touchstone is important. In today’s strong economy, it’s also easier to justify. Sure, there will be sticker shock when seeing hotel prices, but they’ve heard brand advocates like us touting Walt Disney World for decades.
As a culturally-important, rite of passage vacation at a time when unemployment is at historic lows and they have record high confidence in the economy, Walt Disney World is very appealing for casual consumers. This is true even if the vacation costs $6,000 to $8,000 and requires going into a bit of debt to fund.
These first-time visitors who will spend big on their vacation, doing everything they can to ensure that their important trip lives up to expectations, are a lucrative audience for Disney. These guests generally don’t know hacks to save cut costs, and generally spend more money than regular guests. (Obviously, there are exceptions to every generalization–we know plenty of Annual Passholders who are merchandise-addicts.)
A compelling argument can be made (one that I’d agree with) that Walt Disney World is tailoring its business strategy towards one and done visitors, eager to score big financial results in the short term. Right now, it’s also quite conceivable that Walt Disney World is not particularly interested in loyal customers. It doesn’t need them to fill hotels, and doesn’t recognize their long-term value.
The first problem with this line of thinking is what happens when another recession hits or an event negatively impacting the tourism industry. Since 2000, this has occurred twice. Even if you think the fundamentals of our economy are sound (I don’t), it does not take a vivid imagination to envision a time in 5 years or less when things are not so rosy.
During both of the past recessions, Walt Disney World discounted heavily and was very much reliant on its ardent fans to pick up the slack. Following the last recession, the argument was made that Walt Disney World is ‘recession-proof’ in light of its healthy performance.
I’d retort that this misses the mark. Historically, Walt Disney World fans have had an ironclad passion/addiction that they would prioritize going to Disney over other discretionary expenditures. More casual middle class families with kids of the ‘right age’ would do likewise since the parks enjoyed such a strong rite of passage reputation. Sound promotional strategies plus these demographics meant that a recession was not enough to discourage robust attendance numbers.
This raises several questions. Are there still just as many fans with that ironclad passion today as there were a decade ago? If not, can those one-time fans be lured back with aggressive discounting? Is Walt Disney World raising new generations of fans in the same number as it raised my generation and those before mine? Does Walt Disney World’s longstanding institutional rite of passage reputation outweigh its newfound “Walt Disney World is a playground for the wealthy” reputation?
I don’t have the answers to any of these questions. I’m guessing Disney does not, either (if they’re questions even being asked within the company). While I can understand Disney’s eagerness to capitalize on short term trends, I’m weary of what some of the company’s decisions mean in the long term. There are obviously still a ton of things I love about Walt Disney World, and I’m incredibly enthusiastic about what’s on the horizon between now and 2021. I also have a bit of trepidation about pricing trends, and find myself a bit disenchanted with a business plan that, in my opinion, does not hold a whole lot of regard for loyal customers.
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Your Thoughts
Has Walt Disney World lost some of the goodwill you once held for the parks? Do you agree or disagree with our analysis? Other thoughts on this topic? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
The thing that really got me was the news that came out a few months ago about a new proposal to pay for more FastPasses. To me, it feels like a situation of the “rich people” getting to enjoy more while the “peons” wait in line. At a time when there is already so much injustice and inequality in our country, it just doesn’t sit right that those who have more money will make a worse experience for those with less.
The proposal for paying for three extra fast passes affects very few guests, probably a couple of hundred a day of the 200,000 people a day that visit WDW. The way I see it is if Disney can coax a few more dollars from their most well off guests, that’s less they have to raise the prices for the rest of us. WDWs competitors charge every guest for their equivalent of the FP+. Maybe WDW should go down that road so the ‘average’ guests won’t feel slighted?
Call me crazy but in a few years if economy goes well Disney will be charging for fast passes! Or atleast charge for the top ride fast passes and you only get the lower tier ones for free. I am telling you it’s coming! And you will have the same conversation people that are not happy and people that say less people in line with me!
Disney will not stop raising prices and taking away things we get for free till people stop spending or economy hits hard times.
I don’t like the parking fees, the crowds, or the consistent price increases. However, Disney is a business and it comes down to simple “supply and demand”. They can seemingly keep increasing the prices and the demand will always be there. Until fans hit Disney in the pocketbooks it only makes sense for them to keep increasing prices.
On a side note – and the parking fees stink – is THAT what’s really putting people over the edge and not plan a vacation? “I was going to spend $4k on my trip, but that extra $100 is crossing the line!!” How about build a budget and save that money elsewhere? Don’t get that $20 souvenir or that $10 pin. Skip one Disney meal and eat off property. They aren’t forcing us to spend money, we just have to spend it wiser and stick to a budget.
Crowds are increasing despite the price increases. With Star Wars galaxys edge opening next year and the 50th anniversary of wdw magic kingdom, the crowds are going to be insane. I agree with your point about the $100 in parking fees on a $4,000 trip. Do the ticket price increases really impact crowds? The changes to blackout periods for pass holders definitely did, but how much would a(nother) $100 total price increase on a $4,000 trip really discourage people?
Zach, why? Why do I have to be okay with spending a few hundred dollars on something that brings me no value? The stuffed toy my child wants has value. The character dinner has value. The parking space has none. The only hotels that really have parking problems are monorail hotels. Even then, Disney charges so much for rooms in those hotels that you’d think they would be able to cover parking fees without charging an additional amount. The other hotels have a zillion available spaces. No reason for fees.
I don’t blame Iger for those gigantic bonuses. Disney offered, he signed. Who wouldn’t? What bothers me is the fact that cast members are currently fighting along with their union for what anyone would consider to be a small raise in pay. To make matters worse, cast members who are in the union were told they wouldn’t be receiving the $1000 bonus that Disney promised at the beginning of the year. (The bonuses were offered as a result of the new tax structure). Non-Union cast members have already gotten their bonuses. Disney is using union cast members’ bonuses as leverage for them to settle for a small increase in pay. That stinks.
These fees are just a slap in the face. And it seems that Disney does not care what we think. And it really offends me.
Barbara,
The story goes both ways. I am a CM in one of the departments covered by the union contract. There seems to be some language that only allows Disney to pay the bonus to union CMs with the approval of the union, which tried to tie the bonus to Disney accepting its wage proposal. The union backtracked quickly when management applied the same tactic. What’s good for the goose is apparently good for the gander as well. Don’t get me wrong…CMs should be paid a living wage, at least those who work for the company as their sole source of income to provide for their families.
As for parking adding value, there are very few places one can park for free. City streets, sports arenas, major hotels, beaches, etc. all charge for parking. Where does the ‘I am entitled to park my car for free at a Disney Hotel’ mentality come from? Every resort I have ever stayed at has charged me a fee for parking, usually a lot higher than the fees Disney imposes. Most of them also have a ‘resort fee’ of $25 a day or more.
My family and I are APs in addition to me being a CM (I use that mostly to bring friends to the parks). I love the parks and have never felt like Disney doesn’t care about me. I’ll pay the parking charges because there is no place else like Disney for me. I hope all the ‘fans’ upset by the charges and price increases find the perfect vacation for them with a company that doesn’t raise prices, provides Disney quality, and gives them free parking. If they truly don’t come back then there will be plenty of room for me at Food and Wine this year. That and I might actually get a second ride on Flight of Passage. LOL.
Brent, parking fees wouldn’t keep me from going to WDW. My children and grandchildren are grown, so I only have to worry about me. I’m disabled so parking fees won’t affect me.
I do Disney on a dime, so I’m not concerned about my bill going up by a few hundred dollars. I’m more concerned about families that will never get to enjoy a Disney vacation because of all the increases. These families have been priced right out of the market.
Cast members are the first face guests see. They go above and beyond and deserve better treatment. The COL goes up for cast members too, and they have families to support. Disney could just pay them the $1000 bonus they promised and not let Union negotiations interfere. Corporate is beginning to sound greedy and uncaring. Not attractive.
As stated by another post, there is value in a $10 pin or a $20 stuffed Mickey. There is no value for a car to be sitting in a lot, multiplied by all those cars. The car isn’t being washed and detailed, it’s not any safer for the upcharge. It’s a piss poor way of keeping off property guests out of the lots. It doesn’t matter if other hotels are doing it. You can argue that the other hotels use that money for the buses that take those to and from the parks, and even then it isn’t right to charge to babysit your car in a lot that needs to be tended to in repaving every 5 years or so. The extra $100 + a trip can be a breaking point for many, and the rationale for doing it is weak at best.
What kind of a generation do we live in where people think they are entitled to drive their cars and park them for free on private property? Maybe Disney should just eliminate parking lots at their hotels and force everyone to arrive by other modes of transportation! It would certainly be safer for those of us that have to drive on property every day, never knowing when a guest will make a bizarre lane change or stop to take a photo of the gateway sign (where it expressly states NO STOPPING!) or drive the wrong way on World Drive (it happens more than you think).
Since you think the lots need to be paved every few years, do you have any idea what that costs? Millions per square mile.
I hope this thread represents a small minority of Disney visitors and I hope they stay true to their words and never come back. There are a couple of parks down the road that would be happy to take your money.
I first went to WDW when I was 26. When I was a kid, my family couldn’t afford to go on vacation. Over the years since then I’ve been fortunate enough to experience the magic on trips with adults only and trips with kids. Each one was planned sometimes years in advance to save for the expense of doing everything we wanted to do. Yes, it’s been getting increasingly expensive to go but I wouldn’t ever want WDW to cut back on the overall experience so they could offer cheaper prices. I live near a relatively inexpensive amusement park and if that’s what I wanted I could easily go there instead. But I scrimp and save for the magic of WDW.
As a child, my parents managed to bring me and my 3 siblings on vaca to WDW every year. We were huge fans! And we had so many special times together. Now, my children are not as fortunate. It would cost our family of 5 over $4200 for just 4 days! (That does not include airfare or any add ons.) That’s insane!!! I think it’s horrible that a company with an excellent “goodwill” standing would take advantage of their fans this way. At the rate things are going, we will probably save up for one last trip, once Star Wars is ready and then say goodbye to our dear mouse.
I completely understand that people are averse to price increases, but Disney will not stop until the visitation numbers take a hit. Is it a good long-term strategy? Time will tell.
The fact is, they keep raising prices, and yet more and more people keep coming.
In these days where publicly traded companies live and die by the quarterly earnings report, why on earth would they stop?
It’s not my intention to offend or troll folks, but I can’t help but read into a lot of these comments something along the lines of:
I used to love Disney, but lately not so much. Unless they start charging a lot less and getting rid of those darned enormous crowds I think I’m done!
Yes of course I can sympathize with hating the rising costs and the parking fee – I remember the first time I paid a parking fee visiting in California, I almost boycotted any future visits to the whole state! And, like Tom seems to get annoyed by “resort fees”, it’s completely understandable. But … if you owned Disney what would you do?
Only allow in people who have visited at least once pre 2010?
They’ve already constructed additional parks all around the world yet the demand grows. They’ve expanded parks, are adding additional hotel space … the crowds keep coming. I’m saying it’s just business. I think we lovers of Disney should feel lucky if we got to visit the parks before they became so ultra popular the crowds and costs became overwhelming.
I’m already committed to a fall trip with family. When I heard about the parking fees I decided it will be my last trip. I’m sharing a room and taking my first vacation without my husband and young adult sons. If we were to go as a family of 4 it would cost over $6000. I realize they’re in the business of making as much money as possible but it just feels greedy and sleazy anymore. So this trip is the last.
No, it won’t be your last trip b/c of parking fees…if so, then it would have already been your last trip b/c you don’t want to spend that much money of the vacay. But $14-25/night in parking fees is your limit? Come on, you are spending $30-50/day on a car you don’t need b/c all transportation to/from the airport and within WDW is free!! Who are you kidding? The real reason Disney is doing this is b/c they know people stay offsite and park in the hotel lots for free to ride the buses and avoid parking lot fees at the parks.
Jeremy,
There is a flaw in your assumption…the parking fees only apply to overnight guests. If someone from offsite parks in a hotel lot (by lying about the purpose of their visit) there won’t be a parking charge. So, the parking fees won’t solve the problem you’re describing, which is a problem at some resorts.
Yeah except for the fact that the fee is only for overnight guests. You can still park for the day for free. This does nothing to solve this problem. This is a cash grab by Disney to get more money out of its guests, as well as to force people to stop driving/renting cars so that they are stuck on property.
As a matter of fact I fly and have never parked a car at the resorts. It isn’t the parking fees themselves but rather the final thing on a long list of ways it’s just losing it’s Goodwill with its loyal guests. I’m disappointed in how their wonderful CMs who work so hard are compensated and expected to give the ultimate in customer service. The food quality is going downhill and the prices are increasing. It’s just lost it’s luster for me and it’s kind of the last straw.
I’m glad your blog acknowledges this concern. I definitely think Disney is only caring about one and done guests now and that’s a really sad method that I don’t think will last them in the long run. In addition to the nickel and diming, the massive crowds in the decent weather months were also really discouraging me this past year. I don’t mind super planning ahead for the most part, but it’s reached ridiculous for most–to not be able to be flexible at all.
I think they’ve already priced out the average middle class family, at least for more than a once in a lifetime trip. What happened to the days when there were tiers of hotels so that families from many different economic backgrounds could experience Disney? (Yes they’re still there, but it’s not reflected in price anymore. It’s upper middle class and above.)
We were in the process of picking dates and booking another trip to Disney when we heard about the new charge for parking at a Disney hotel. That was it, we’re done. We always stay on site and we already pay a premium to stay at a Disney resort. We have never minded paying that premium because we felt as though we were getting our moneys worth. But honestly I think they are making a huge mistake nickel and diming their loyal travel base. They might get the first time visitors, but that will be the last time those visitors will be able to afford to come. Again, people don’t mind paying for a nice vacation but they do mind feeling unappreciated and taken advantage of…. especially if they are return customers.
It does seem true that Disney is banking on the one and done vacationers and could care less about loyalty. As annual passholders for 15+ years we will not renew after this year. We are not FL residents, we fly, stay on site and usually rent a car for our 2+ trips (avg 5 days/trip) we take every year. We love Disney, but the constant price increases and money grabs do not sit well with us. Even with the pass, we spend a lot of money each trip (not talking about airfare either), so how much does Disney need you to spend to make you feel like you are worthy to be a valued guest at their parks? The perks we get as passholders are minimal in my opinion and seem to diminish each year. We did receive a passholder survey a couple of days ago and I was happy to complete it and make my feelings known. It probably won’t do any good, but it gave me an opportunity to vent. Taking our money elsewhere will probably allow us to spend at least a month, if not more, in Hawaii, and I don’t mean Aulani…. Aloha Disney
Your comments are almost an exact match for us. APs not renewing, do several big expensive trips a year but are done not feeling valued for that money. For less money and still really great vacations, we can get big loyalty returns with a hotel chain or a Sandals like chain in the Caribbean!
Here’s a question… why rent a car when you go, if you’re going there for Disney? Instead of paying $20/night on parking, how about you SAVE hundreds of dollars a trip? Skip the car rental and enjoy not having to sit in traffic lines exiting the park after fireworks. Free WDW transportation!
Thank you for your comments. I have been watching the recent changes at Walt Disney World and found myself frequently wondering if I was no longer the type of customer that Walt Disney World wants to attract. I am the type who vacations at the parks about once each year and very rarely chooses the “extra” experiences offered. I search diligently for ways to make my trip more affordable such as DVC rentals and discount tickets. I would agree with your statement that, “…Walt Disney World is tailoring its business strategy towards one and done visitors, eager to score big financial results in the short term.” I have not made any firm decisions about future trips, but I noticed I am spending less time researching for future Disney trips and more time looking at other options. It was not a specific protest against Disney in my case, more of a general feeling less enthusiasm for a
Walt Disney World vacation influenced by the changes.
I as a long time fan since 1975 can only say I am just sad. Bob Iger and friends have taken the belief out of Walts vision. There was a Disney song written from Return to Neverland, that can be applied here. “There is no such thing as faith, or trust, or pixie dust”
I will try to keep this short. But there is so much that your question “Is Disney eroding their goodwill and damaging their brand?” The answer is an unequivocal “YES.” But I am not sure anyone there cares. Disney may well be operating on the idea that people like my family and so many others who have attended 25 or 35 times will be replaced by the hoards who will want to see Star Wars or some other “property” like Marvel or Avatar.
But in my humble opinion brands – even Disney – make a huge mistake if they believe they can “recapture the Magic” once it has eroded or disappeared. I remember when part why EPCOT was special was because of the World Showcase Players and the Drum and Bugle Corp live performances. My wife and I really liked the World Showcase Players. The “live-performance” aspect added to the day. Even more to the point, I remember not that long ago when Hollywood Studios had live performers all over the streets. The Maintenance Men who did their schtick at around 4:30PM every day was absolutely awesome. My nephews still talk about how awesome Fredericks eyes were in the little show – and that was from 12 years ago. Where is the Cavalcade of Stars? And what about “Mulch, Sweat and Tears?”
We remember the show at Diamond Horseshoe Saloon every day. I could go on and on and on about all the little things that made “DisneyWorld” fabulous. Special. Unmistakeable. Can’t missable.
The fools who are in charge now – and I do mean the fools – really have no sense of what made DisneyWorld “special.” And if you have an entire Top Brass of any organization that do not understand what made their organization special, ultimately the enterprise is doomed to mediocrity.
We went to Universal Studios for one day last year – to use up a spare tickets we had not used in 17 years. I was stunned by how “unspecial” the place felt. ” “Just another Amusement Park” we noted. We won’t go back. Soon, we won’t go to DisneyWorld anymore either. But will anyone care?
The news of parking fees and the speculation on the potential future loss of the free dining really knocked me for a loop last week. We got the free dining plan late August last year, upgraded it, and it was just wonderful. I wasn’t expecting to get it, but being able to do so many character meals, it was great, probably too much. I would go into planning for the next trip the same way, hoping to get it but not relying on it, but it would be a disappointment to lose out on it after last trip.
The parking fee really is annoying, it’s not a lot of money in the grand scheme of things, but we drove in from the north east, and there was absolutely no shortage of parking at our resort. That will really feel like getting nickel and dimed.
I think you’ve described perfectly how many Disney fans are feeling. We’re from the UK and have been visiting since our children were little. We took a few years off during the recession and then took another trip last year and, quite frankly, we were totally shocked at how expensive everything had become at the parks – food, parking, just everything seemed to be hiked up massively compared to prior trips. We’re lucky in the UK in that we can buy a 14 day ticket for the price of a 7 day one, so that does help a bit, but it doesn’t outweigh the enormous price increases we noticed. It was a shock and we’ve thought seriously about whether we’d visit again and that’s a very sad feeling for these long-time Disney fans.
I wonder what would Walt think of the state of Walt Disney World today?
The post and comments would make an interesting start to a case study for business and management. I can’t argue with anything anyone has said and I concur that some staff seem to have lost their sparkle.
In the ‘good old days’ you would never have seen groups of cast members congregating but on recent trips I’ve probably seen several groups each day we are on property. On a recent trip I stood beside a group of them in a store waiting to ask a question. I did not want to appear rude, (I am a Canadian) so I stood and waiting for some time before one of them noticed me. The cast member was very helpful once I got her attention.
Regarding the parking fee at the resorts I am wondering if this is Disney’s way of dealing with people parking at resorts who are not guests of the resort and taking a Disney bus to a park for the day. It is easy to go to a resort and say you want to look around and/or go to a restaurant. I don’t know how carefully Disney is monitoring how long visitors are parking at resorts. (The exception is the resorts on the Monorail system where we have had to confirm we have a restaurant reservation before we were allowed to enter.)nWe have gone to tour resorts numerous times and stay an hour or so and move on. It is a fun way to experience the Disney magic without spending park admission. I don’t expect people will do this anymore if they have to pay. I don’t recall anyone mentioning this but wondering if that is Disney’s rationale for the parking fees at the resorts. Perhaps it would be easier to hand people a pass to put on their dashboards with an expiration time if this is the reason for the parking fee. I doubt many people would stay past the time if they had to put a tag on their dash. Disney does not record the license plates of guests staying at resorts. At least that was the case when we stayed at AoA in 2015 which I found odd. At non-Disney resorts we have had to post a pass on our dash.
Someone mentioned alcohol in the parks. I don’t know how many years there have been kiosks selling alcohol but I am wondering if the ease of availability is contributing to some of the guest attitude and behaviour. For my part I would be happy if they went back to serving alcohol in restaurants only. I realize that would be a problem for the festival kiosks but perhaps they could sell smaller servings of the specialty drinks and/or reduce the number of varieties offered. It seems as though there are more types of alcohol than food offered.
We are planning a family trip early December to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. We are going to stay on property for 3 days and then moving to a time share for the balance of the trip. We have done this before and frankly after a couple of days I am ready to leave the Disney resort because of the noise. I don’t know what Disney could do to change things but many resorts have music playing in public space and the ambient sound is deafening in the quick serve restaurants.
Hard to say how many more trips we will plan to Disney after that. Part of the reason we selected Disney for this trip was to share the experiences with our children and grand children. Most of our trips to Disney have been as a couple and we want them to experience the events we have lovingly talked about. The point of the trip is to make some great memories while we are still in good health and able to join in the fun.
The endless construction zones are another matter I could go on about. And not sure but the Star Wars invasion will be Disney’s undoing for us. It sounds amazing but I have my misgivings.
Because many other resorts charge for parking (including around Disney Springs), I think some people were parking their cars at Disney resorts for the whole trip! They parked them and used Disney transportation. Now, personally, I think it makes sense for Disney to charge and discourage that. That’s important not only for parking spaces but also for public safety.
That doesn’t make any sense. Why would anyone do that? It would be so inconvenient. So time consuming. You would have to pay for transportation to and from your off site hotel every day if you were to leave your car sitting at a Disney resort hotel that you’re not staying at for your entire trip including overnight! You may as well just pay for parking! There are many many hotels near Disney that do not charge for parking! There are always a lot of available parking spaces at Disney. If Disney was concerned about non resort guests using the lots they would be charging those people or refusing them access, instead of adding the charge to your resort room bill!! This charge is for resort guests! Also, Disney used to advertise that any park guest could use their transportation system, that you didnt need to be a resort guest to use the bus system, only had to buy a park ticket! Is this no longer the case? It’s not necessary for any reason, it’s just another way to get more money out of Disney guests. They’re doing it because they can! Its purely for more profit!
We are planning our 4th and probably final trip to Disney this December 2018. I dont see how my family of 4 can afford another trip to Disney in the near or far future with the pricing increases that seem to happen more than once a year now. There are alternatives to wholesome fun fantastic family vacations beyond Disney that are a fraction of the cost.
Many families like us save and scrimp to go to Disney and right now Disney is flat out pricing us out of the ability to go. I’m no longer willing to save for over a year just for a few days in the MK, its just not worth it with the HUGE crowds, the increases in everything from parking to food to tickets. I fully expect more to come down the road like FP pricing tiered ticket pricing and charges for the Magical Express.
I love Disney I really do but they are catering to a select few now pricing the avg middle class family out of the fun. Its sad and I think they are truly losing sight of who and what got them there in the first place.
I agree with most everything in this article. We are planning a trip this fall for our 4 girls. Our first family vacation. Having been to Disney in the past we knew it would be expensive, but it’s not like we take these sort of vacations each year. The “sticker” shock sat in and we accepted it. While we can afford it I am saddened by the average middle class families that can’t afford a trip for their little ones. The “rite of passage” comment in the article really rings true. With Disney tv shows, movies, merchandise, etc all over the place everywhere it is hard for kids to see it and not want to go. Then to know that there are families that live paycheck to paycheck going into debt for a vacation like this is very disheartening. I get that Disney is a business and can charge whatever they would like, however it seems as if they are getting greedy. These are expensive vacations and while I like going there is more in the world to see. I could ramble on and on, but to me the prices and exclusiveness of Disney makes me sad for the average parents that simply can’t afford it.
Yes, the rite of passage will become for upper middle class and rich kids only, at least for anyone living more than a day’s drive from Orlando.
I just wanted to point out that you can be doing well, not at all living pay check to pay check, and a family of six (I have four kids, too), can still find these trips out of reach.
This weekend, I went to Disney On Ice with my kids, a friend and her kids. She asked me tons of questions about going to the parks, inspired by her kids’ excitement at the show. The light went out of her eyes pretty fast when I explained what the tickets and hotels cost, meals in the parks, etc. She is not poor. She is not working class. She is not living pay check to pay check. But spending $7000 for one week’s vacation seems outlandish, twice the price of some all-inclusives in the Caribbean and Mexico. And it would definitely mean saving up for a goodly period. She’s not a hard-core Disneyana fan like myself, and I just don’t think it all sounds worth it.
Well stated!! I have always been nostalgic for Disney stemming from childhood memories when times were so very different. It is just not like that anymore… sometimes it doesn’t even feel familiar. I can go to amazing locations around the world, truly relax, and live in the moments with my family. Disney now feels chaotic and exhausting. I must now plan a year ahead or I am behind. I have to tell Disney what rides I will be riding on each day of my stay, and I must have all sit-down meals planned out at least 6 months prior. Not all of this is Disney… so much is the crowd factor… but for me, it’s just the end of an era. Time to move on and see more of the world than the countries in Epcot… for much less money.
You really said that well. My first trip was when I was 10. From that year on I have been to wdw. My grandma was sick and she bought a time share for us before she passed. So we got spend many vacations with her and the memories of her seeing her that happy, were what motivated me to love it as much as she did. So after she passed in 1997, I’ve been there every year. When I met my first boyfriend and the man I would marry, he proposed at the castle. We then booked a two week honeymoon with all the extras . We already had a trip planned when I found out I was pregnant, and I went at 8 months pregnant. My daughter is just about 3 and she’ll be there 6 times in September. We owned dvc but found it pricey for us and we enjoyed the values in some level, so we sold it. We drive because it’s more cost effective. So like all of you, it’s upsetting to me and I feel betrayed. I’ve seen the dining plan go from 25 a day to 75 a day? Don’t even know what it is, because we just pay it. But these parking fees? Feels like a slap in the face. It’s not the amount that fans are insulted by, it’s that we never expected Disney to be “everyone else”.
This right here “It’s not the amount that fans are insulted by, it’s that we never expected Disney to be “everyone else”.”!!!! I think this perfectly sums up the issue, very well said!