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.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
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!
Overall, our Disney trips are becoming fewer and fewer, Disney World and Disneyland (we are west-coasters.) Having a recession-proof career, I think we’ll spend a lot more time visiting other places until the next recession, when they have the “Free Disney Parking” promotion. 😉 We have one more WDW trip planned for next year, but we don’t spend two-plus weeks anymore. One week is enough, and we’ll be staying at SOG.
What is turning me off is less the price increases, but the failure to serve the huge crowds with an appropriate number of cast members and to pay those cast members a living wage at a time when Disney is raking in record-breaking profits. Instead, they appear to be getting by on less experienced and less expensive personnel while also artificially slowing the intake of attractions, resulting in longer lines even on individual days when crowds are less numerous.
This recent decision to add parking costs doesn’t even really effect me on most of my trips because I tend to fly and use their buses and other transportation. Unfortunately, my own experiences suggest that their transportation coverage has been less effective in recent years and hey, if they’re willing to charge for parking then why wouldn’t they eventually be willing to charge for on-property transportation too? They wouldn’t even necessarily have to go through the hassle of taking cash from on-property guests. They could just have you scan your magic band and charge it each time you rode.
It all comes back to the sacrosanct business belief that company profits absolutely must increase, not just every year, but every financial quarter. Prices will continue to rise, but I’m letting my annual pass lapse more because I’ve seen them having difficulty with maintaining the level of good customer service they have previously been known for. Obviously there are still excellent cast members to be found, but the overall quality of the service I’m experiencing is notably decreased over just the last decade. I have been patient with this in part because Disney parks have been comfortable places to vacation as a solo traveler largely due to its “bubble” and the safety and friendliness many of other guests. The trip I am leaving for in just 8 days will unfortunately most likely do little to change these impressions, and I’m guessing the people making the decisions there don’t care. I’ll probably have my eyes open for other fun places to spend my vacation dollars.
you either charge a premium for everything or you nickel and dime. You do not do both.
If you charge a premium, you owe people a premium experience.
I emailed Mr George Kalogridis to express my concern and displeasure with Disney for charging for parking at the resorts. I, along with many of you, stated that Disney was outpricing the average American Family. Told him how much that saddened me and wondered if Walt Disney would ever have condoned this. Told him this was my tipping point and I feel I would never return.
A Mr Matt Blaine (407-934-7776) called me. He sounded very sincere and listened to my plea. He assured me that Disney reads the blogs and that they were very aware of the negative reactions. He also told me he would share my concerns with the “Executive Leadership” at Disney.
For what it is worth I urge you all to call Mr Blaine and express your feelings
Working on the premise of every $1 dollar I had walking into WDW in the past they were getting about $.70. With continuous added fees, increase in costs, and charges they are probably around $.90. Within the next few years of yearly price increases, expanding the parks, and more and more new charges it will be around $.95. It’s getting close to squeezing blood from a turnip all while erroding away any free small benefits that used to exist. The tipping point is near.
-Parking costs
-Closing parks early for an evening event that requires another ticket charge
-Meal plans which are not worth the cost and still won’t staisfy your daily expenses or your families appetite
-Absurd room rates and that’s even before the new Star Wars hotel “experience”
-Ticket increases
It forces you to go in one direction or the other…All Disney or No Disney. Loyalty doesn’t exist, just profit margins.
But guess what I’ll be there in Oct with my 6 and 2 yr olds (free before 3) and again in 2021 for all the new changes, but beyond that my family and I will be hiking through the Swiss Alps in the summer and probably at the same or less cost of a trip to WDW for a family of 4.
I’m relatively new to this site, although i did comment a couple of weeks ago for the 1st time. I could not agree more with your analysis. If it’s All business & no loyalty, they are missing the boat. Once out of the mode to go there, it will trickle down to my kids, then their kids, etc. We have found cruising to be more bang for our buck! So now we are on a cycle of doing that, instead of our annual trip to WDW Makes me sad.
I’m noticing a kind of irony here that people are simultaneously complaining that the parks are both too crowded and too expensive. Maybe Disney is making an effort here to encourage shorter stays and less frequent visits as a way of returning the parks to more manageable crowd sizes.
No, Disney doesn’t want smaller crowds. It’s supply and demand. The demand is high right now so they can get away with charging more and more. They know that right now the crowds are showing up and emptying their wallets no matter how high the prices are so they just want to rake in as many billions in profits as they can. When the demand is lower and the crowds get smaller they will start making offers for bigger discounts and more promotions to try to draw more people in again.
Disney’s sweet spot is crowded with less costs. So a fuller park, longer lines and fewer cast members. If Disney could get to that point most people wouldn’t visit.
When you factor the hotel, food and other stuff into the admission costs, $1000 a day for 2 of us….. I demand a premium experience
call me entitled.
I’m planning our family trip soon when kids are the right age. I’m one of those one and done. We’ll make it magical, special, then move on. I think it needs experienced but then there are other places to see. In fact my family and I keep saying we’re so glad to have a date on the books because we just see it going up and up and up the further out.
I agree everyone needs to experience Disney at some point. And for a once and done tourist it would be hard to see the things most of us are speaking of since you don’t have a past trip to compare it to. You are correct prices will continue to climb. Hope you and your kids have a blast!
Got to say, Disney World lost my business 3 years ago before the charge for parking. I’ve still been visiting Florida and getting my 3 day park hopper tickets to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom but Universal Studio’s now get my dime for hotel and most of my dining. They charge for parking and as far as I’m aware, always have, but their hotels are SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper then Disney’s. Their customer service is on par, if not better, than Disney’s in my humble opinion.
Nice article Tom and very apt for the current happenings. I still love Disney but won’t be staying onsite until the price range falls into what I’m willing to pay.
yep, learning there is MUCH more to Florida than DisneyWorld. Thanks to the ever changing up charging of America’s entertainment. Confidence is fading with this business. Wake up and see! Walt Disney would not be kind to those who ruined his vision…..
Been a Disney fanatic for life and have brainwashed my children with Disney Magic. It’s upsetting to see the constant price increases and now paying for parking at the hotels??? I will still take the kids this fall but it may be our last visit for awhile. I’m glad we got to take advantage of the fall free dining incentives for the early years in my kids life (0-10). Now that they are older and the costs at Disney have gone up (and incentives are disappearing) we will be planning vacations elsewhere. I don’t think we will ever completely stop our vacations to Disney but it’ll be a once every 3 yr trip instead of every year. We will miss you Mickey!
People will always try and find SOMETHING to complain about. Amazing how some are getting on Disney’s case for being a business…a publicly traded company that needs to maximize profits. Instead I am reading a bunch of entitled individuals who want Disney to be for THEM and affordable for THEM. I’m sure all the research was done, and (making up numbers here), if Disney lost 100 customers but nets another $1M in revenue…as a business, wouldn’t you have to kind of do that? “How dare they!! Find OTHER ways to make money!! Or even better, don’t make money! Get the pitch forks out!!!”
I will say that if quality has decreased significantly, I can understand some of the remarks. I personally have not seen anything resembling what people are saying, and we were there just last October. Polite cast members who seemed to enjoy their jobs (had a chance to speak with one for a few minutes, a retired gentleman, and he had nothing but positive things to say) grounds that were immaculately kept, adequately cleaned bathrooms (they are BATHROOMS, I don’t go to Disney for their bathrooms and don’t expect them to be spotless) , food was great, only 1 broken down ride, and that only lasted for a few hours. We had a magical time and plan on getting married there.
And for those that complain about the wages…again, do we just NOT understand how a business works? If they gave everyone a “livable” wage, where do you think that cost is passed onto? How about tacking on a resort fee, charging $1 for water, and adding a “bag fee” if you want to carry one in the park? You like that?
Then the cycle of complaining starts again. Instead of being grateful for the things we DO have in life, let’s instead find luxuries to complain about.
Good news is that for all these people that will supposedly stop going, makes that much room for me and my family at Disney! So thank you!
I mean, for the livable (why tf did you put that in quotes lol) wage, they could just take it out of the bonuses of upper management. If they say they can’t afford to pay even their base employees a livable wage without increasing costs especially while upper management is getting the sort of pay they do get, maybe they are shitty at business. Like, that “cost is passed on” argument makes sense for small businesses. A huge corporation like Disney? Dude, they’d just be cheap doing that, and further eroding the whole idea of the Disney bubble and Disney magic that is at the core of what they’re selling at WDW.
Yeah, yeah ~capitalism~; it’s also been shown livable wages improve things for businesses because hey! guess what! People have more disposable income to splurge at places like…. oh, I don’t know. Disney? As for being an IPO, if enough goodwill is eroded just because businesses gotta be businesses, that also will mean their stock prices would be worse off than it could be in the situation outlined in Tom’s article – which is, how well would they be able to go through another recession. Basically, these decisions may be nice for profit-maximising Now, yeah, but long-term? Especially when customer loyalty becomes worth a lot more? Questionable.
You’re right that it is a business, and they are going to maximize profits anywhere they can. However, when prices rise on what seems to be a yearly basis and quality does not increase to meet that price increase, you have to stop and think, unless you could really care less.
Signs of no increase in Disney’s quality or decrease in quality are various. Bus transportation gets MORE crowded with longer wait times and less buses. The meal plans increase yearly, but no added perks to the meal plan. The characters no longer walk the parks in ample, like they once did. Now we have to go to designated spots and wait, loss of magic there. The Christmas and Halloween parties, while lovely cost close to $100 to attend, when once not long ago tickets may have been $20-30 dollars. Souvenirs, which are adorable have increased too. A cute ornament purchased in 2004 of ceramic cost $12 (still have the tag on it) which now cost $25. The Disney hotels, gorgeous. But why would I pay close, and even more than I would for the Taj Mahal in Boston?! Parking fees at the hotels now… Why should someone have to pay more for a parking spot at The Beach Club than the All Star Sports? Is the cement more luxurious from one hotel tier to the next?! NO.
Disney is a business, you’re right about that. But when you market yourself as “family affordable” and “magical” and then start to negate those philosophies, people are bound to get fed up. I’m not an atm for Disney. We may sound entitled, because we’re complaining about price increases but I think it is more aggrevation than entitlement. We’re not saying only we shouldn’t have to pay the CONSTANT increases (more than our pay checks), customers (all) are being duped so Bob Iger and others can rake in more millions. I’m done contributing to CEO’s and high management’s early retirements.
When I pay $3 for a 20 ounce Coke and $2.75 for a bottle of water…. $23 to park….$18 for a burger and fries…..
then I don’t see how Disney can possibly not be paying cast members better. Dollar Tree can turn a profit on selling a 20 ounce Coke for $1, There’s room for profit and wages in a $3 bottle of Coke.
I’ve been to Walt Disney World (WDW) and Disneyland 39 times in my lifetime, 30 of those visits in the last 8 years. We had magical and blissful times up until recently (past 2+ years) where the service has seemed to decline. Examples include:
++ Our last stay at WDW’s Grand Floridian was less than stellar (continually having to ASK for toilet paper, toiletries, coffee, towels as well as the front desk staff seemed ‘off’ {losing my wheelchair rental and not being helpful trying to locate it})
++ The areas are dirtier and not as well kept (I used to say that if you want to experience the cleanest bathrooms in the world, go to a Disney park, but WDW bathrooms have been downright disgusting at times in the past years)
++ The park hours are shortened (Recently, the Magic Kingdom has been closing early such as 10pm on a weekend summer night?!? Then herding crowds out at 10pm without a night-time parade, to stand like cattle at the monorail & boat. Why not leave the parks open until at least midnight? I feel like a reduction in our AP value.)
++ The parks are now ALWAYS super crowded and uncomfortable no matter the time of year. (We typically visit 3rd week of January, last week of April, last week of July, mid-September, and Thanksgiving)
++ Charging for events that never existed before that seem like a jab into your wallet (*dessert* parties, early or after hours hard tickets, resort parking {and why charge MORE for moderate and and EVEN MORE for deluxe parking when none of the parking lots offer anything different. And why charge the resort guests for parking when finding a parking space can be challenging at times from all of the transient guests eating dinner & shopping?})
++ Elimination of treats (deluxe resorts used to leave chocolates on pillows, nacho type cheese used to be complimentary at quick serves such as Casey’s Corner & Cosmic Rays, the eliminate of parades at HS, AK, and MK)
++ Quick service staffing that is lacking in training (when ordering off of the allergy menu at GF’s Gasparilla Grill, every time we ordered during our week stay, the staff member would have to ask the manager or Chef or question whether or not they carry those particular items… and this was not isolated to the Gasparilla Grill).
I could mention more but I think you get the point — I had NOTHING negative to say about WDW for DECADES. In fact, I was the huge Disney fanatic that was always singing its praises. Honestly, WDW could do no ‘wrong’. But within the last 2 years, the climate and culture have shifted… the experience is rushed, crowded, mishandled, and not as magical… the feeling of not being ‘special’ as a guest has really hit a low. Millions of people frequent the WDW parks and resorts; however, somehow we always left feeling special. But we’ve left our last trips feeling something is ‘missing’. That magical feeling seems to be dissipating, and it’s more than just the parking fee, but that certainly didn’t help matters.
I live in Southern California where there are a LOT of different theme parks to choose from and, frankly, I will always choose a Disney park over any other type park. I’m an adult solo traveler who can travel as I choose and I still find the Walt Disney World vacation to be an excellent value for my dollars spent. Is there a tipping point for me? Probably not!
We started going to WDW annually, sometimes more, in 2003 when our son was 7 years old (my husband and I had both been there as kids withbour families, and again in the mid ‘90s before our son was born). We scrimped a lot to go over the years, and decided a few years back that we enjoyed staying on property better than off, and it was worth the extra cost to us. But the days of non-expiring tickets that reduced our daily cost to $25 or so are over, and the annual price hikes are out of control – not to mention the ridiculous amount of planning that now has to be done if you want to get table service reservations and FastPasses. We live in NC and don’t like flying, so driving for us is key. And now on top of everything else, we will have to shell out nearly $140 for parking at our favorite hotel, the French Quarter? We’re safe this next trip since reservations were already made, but after that… we won’t be back for a very long time, if ever. There are other places in and out of the US where we can go much more cheaply. We are huge Star Wars fans, but the new hotel will be out of our league, and we are tired of the nickel and diming. I would never pay more than $200/night for a normal hotel room, and now even the moderate hotels are more than that – and many of the new refurbishments have taken away so many of the Disney touches we enjoyed (our son loved finding hidden Mickeys in the bedspreads or wall paintings). We still love WDW, but we are deeply saddened about this last unnecessary grab at our wallets, and it is looking like our “happy place” will have to be somewhere else in the future.
I’m planning my first trip in a decade and I’m shocked, quite frankly, at how much things have changed but am trying to keep an open mind. I’m not ready to give up on Disney, but am getting close. I think this might be my last trip after about 6 or 7 in my life but we’ll see how this upcoming trip goes before deciding.
The fact that Disney is deliberately under staffing it’s parks and artificially creating long lines and then claiming that raising prices is necessary to reduce crowds is disturbing. Changing the Fastpass system to artificially create crowds at B ticket attractions is upsetting and will undoubtedly lead to charging for Fastpasses in the near future. And THAT will DEFINITELY be the tipping point for me. Disney didn’t used to be socially stratified but it is obviously becoming that. I hate crowds but hate being manipulated even more.
Disney used to mean quality, clean, friendly and from what I’m hearing everything has gone downhill in the last decade. Except the price. They’re grabbing gobs of money and let the monorail get dangerously rundown. I don’t get it. There just doesn’t seem to be a commitment to the customer there once was.
I wouldn’t say they’ve let the place get rundown (other than the monorail; it broke down an awful lot the last time we rode it in 2016) but it does seems like there has been both a lot of upcharges added in the past year or so, as well as some of the exclusive perks being extended to non-WDW resorts (such as extendeing the Fastpass+ window to 60 days at certain non Disney hotels in the Disney Springs area). At the very least, it’s getting harder to justify staying on site, which for me is a shame, as there are so many resorts I would like to check out (my family has stayed at AoA, All Star Movies, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and I stayed at the Grand Floridian almost 30 years ago).
The first time I went to Disney was in 2015 at 35 yrs old. I became addicted. I’ve been two times since and have another trip in a couple months. The first time we went we stayed in the wyndham timeshare, and the last two we were at a Disney resort. I decided the resorts were worth it and would only stay in them. I was going to try to stay in every resort. This third one is at animal kingdom lodge. I am excited, but now that they are charging for parking, I won’t be staying at the resprts anymore. I can just stay somewhere else for a lot cheaper and just pay for parking at the parks. IF we go back, and it won’t be for a long time from now.
I am a multi-generational Disney fan and Florida resident that went to the parks 5 weekends last year and I’m thinking it’s time to stop. Prices go up and up and up but where does all the money go? Bob Iger is getting a big fat raise ($$$$$) but the people at that parks who truly make the trips magical make nothing! Paying for parking at a time when they are charging $150/night for motel rooms is awful and it affects in-state guests a lot more because we drive. I wish we could do a coordinated protest…no one go between xmas and New Years when they are usually at capacity and maybe the message would get through. As of now I have stopped looking to book rooms for my daughters birthday next year. I want her to support companies that support their loyal customers and their employees and Disney is not that company right now.
Yep – absolutely done with Disney I think. These recent developments (parking fees at hotels?! Halloween parties in August?? paying for fastpasses?!) just solidify the feeling I have been having of…if Disney is being un-Disney I might as well go to Universal and Sea World when I drive 1200 miles to Florida. They are taking away the perks that would make me choose Disney over those places. At the very least there is no way we will ever stay a full 10 days with a family of 6 Disney adults (5 of us over 18) ever again. Makes me sad, but in a way they are helping us explore other places in Florida when we do end up going back to Florida.
I totally agree. You can tour the Real Europe and real Asia now cheaper than Disney. Go on the cruises with other companies. Yes we all love the Disney experience but it’s time to see our great USA. How about Atlanta Charleston and Savannah , Washington DC for the museums, for kids or the Teton mountains or California wine country? Disney needs to understand that loyal customers tell other first timers. We’ve stayed in every hotel and done it all. Our son now goes to UCF. We got an apartment and it’s cheaper than 2 Disney trips and we are doing so much more than Disney now. Don’t stay on property. There’s more than that Florida has beautiful beaches and I have to say. .. The wine and food festival has now come year around ! The seminars last year were from Publix and you can get that every day in their stores. The special dinners are at such a price point it’s not worth it again if you’ve done it once. There are so many restaurants in Florida that are wonderful without the drama of booking and hassle. Greed has taken the Mouse ! If Disney keeps making it paying at every turn then even first timers will find it too expensive !
if those staying at a Disney hotel don’t have a car, they won’t leave property to see that there is so much more than Disney.
Soon Disney will just put up a toll booth and charge everyone as they leave Disney property.
My husband and I are celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary on December 21st, 2018. Our two daughters are planning celebrating by taking us to Disney as they have such wonderful memories of our many trips there. However, the cost that they would have to incur is causing a big concern for us. We have recently learned of parking charges at resorts! The cost of a room which is basically a motel room is crazy. The planned trip would include 7 adults and 4 children staying at a resort for the whole Disney Experience. My husband and I are worried that our daughters are spending too much for a sentimental celebration. We have been to Walt Disney World over 20 times but our support is being tested by unrealistic costs. We are loyal Disney people but may have to refrain from enjoying a fantasy family trip in the future.
Why not consider staying offsite at a resort such as Windsor Hills or Windsor at Westside. Both offer large homes with up to 9 bedrooms (up to 6 at Windsor Hills) and up to 9 at Windsor at Westside. Each have full kitchens, laundry, etc and access to all of the resort amenities (duelling water slides, lazy river, etc). Both are located close to WDW (although, Windsor Hills is closer). The prices are fantastic and the parking is free. You can drive to the parks or take a cab/Uber or a shuttle.
Totally. Agree. Stay off property there is rosen shingle creek and the Ritz ! They run shuttles too. Go to Tampa and eat st Berns streahouse. Visit the gorgeous st Pete beach. Do something different ! It’s your 50th start a new tradition !
Not gonna lie, I haven’t been to Disney in a long time, both because I haven’t had the time, and then pricing is…. just a lot. I was originally planning on going to WDW with friends this year, but circumstances happened that led to us cancelling the trip. Now, I don’t know if I want to bother trying again, if the price increases keep trending upward like this from every little thing, especially with the various changes and closures and openings coming up that means the next few years will either have less to do or huge crowds on top of things likely being even MORE expensive. (I can already see the bump up in ticket prices once Star Wars land is close to opening….)
I’d rather save up money going to Japan instead where I’d get to explore another country and do Disney Sea; it’s likely a much more worthwhile use of my money. And then I wouldn’t have to worry about transportation and rooming having an Orlando trip include both Disney and universal either.
To be fair, I’m a young adult who doesn’t have kids, so I only really need to answer to myself. I don’t know that I’m really in any of the target demographics WDW is trying to aim for either. I’d _like_ to go back because I miss Epcot and would like to see how it’s changed, and there are a few other things I’m curious about.
I just don’t know if feeding that nostalgia and curiosity would be worth it, pitting it against probable ticket and room prices (and I would want to stay in a resort hotel because it’d be a once in a long while trip) in 2021+.
I do think Disney may be becoming too commercial and money-hungry. When our family first started going it was different. We didn’t have to spend weeks and weeks on advance planning. We did make reservations for a few of the more popular restaurants, but were able to be much much more spontaneous. We could decide on the day we were at the park which rides and attractions we’d like to do. It was much more fun. More carefree. Now it’s like a big money pit. The prices are outrageous. Personally, I think the Disney corporation makes ample money; it might be nice for them as a big corporation to give back to their fans. We are taking a trip soon, that we had to save for two years for. It probably will be our last trip, and that makes me sad. I have been such a big Disney fan for so long. At this point it’s beginning to lose it’s pixie dust and has begun to tarnish. Too big too fast at the expense of the people who have been loyal Disney fans. I wish Disney would speak to some of the fans to get their opinions and maybe make some changes for the better. And as an almost personal insult, I read from time to time what the CEO of Disney makes (over $ 40 million dollars) and it makes me want to cry. I also cry because a place I love so much is changing, so much and so quickly and not necessarily for the better, that it’s almost unrecognizable as the place that was for me anyway, the most magical place on earth.
Oh man, yeah, the reservations. Having to let go of the BOG reservations I’d managed to get when plans fell through definitely was one of the more painful things about that friends trip not working out; if I do end up trying to plan for WDW again one day, I’m not looking forward to trying for reservations again! The only time I’ve been to WDW was when I was a small child (I’m West Coast-based), so I don’t how much planning my parents had to do way back then, but somehow I feel not as much as now.
But yeah, I feel like WDW especially has been advertised about the whole “Disney bubble” thing because the parks are so big? So people are encouraged to stay in the on-site resort hotels as well, rather than having the “real world” intrude. (It’s definitely not a thing with Disneyland I feel, haha.) People have said that they use the dining plan so they don’t have to think about the cost of their meals while they’re there. But things like this overnight parking charge erode from that Disney bubble, take away from the “magic.” And I think it’s especially because it IS WDW with its whole Disney bubble thing that’s why such changes hurt more. Like I get it’s a business and all, and certainly I guess there’s no shortage of guests right now… but they’re still chipping away at the shiny magical veneer of WDW they’re selling and that. that is going to be less easy to recover in the future.