weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Jun 14, 2015 12:13:47 GMT -5
You want a palace for under $500? People seem to like them. Besides, do you spend all your time at the hotel when you travel? Most folks go exploring, hit the beaches, go horseback riding, dancing with the natives, etc. The hotel is just a place to sleep.
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honeysalt
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Post by honeysalt on Jun 14, 2015 12:28:31 GMT -5
From a business perspective, you have a right to charge what people are willing to pay. I guess sooner or later their enrollment will drop and the price increases will slow. That isn't happening anytime soon. Disney is crushing it. Charging $100 helps them with relative pricing in two ways. First, it allows them to offer people deals. If you stay at a hotel near Disney, there is always a ticket desk where you can get a discount. If there was not a high, established price, it wouldn't seem like a deal. Second, it helps with relative pricing in relation to the goods and food offered at the park. It makes a lot more sense to spend $28 on lunch during an activity that costs $100 than during an activity that costs $20 from an emotional perspective. As far as your original question, I went to Disney World last year. My company sent me to the Disney Institute (they also do business training). If I had a kid that was interested in business, I would take them to Disney in a heartbeat. I am not a fan of Disney personally or culturally, but from a business perspective, they knock it out of the park.
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Jun 14, 2015 12:39:10 GMT -5
Adult 5 day tickets are 315$, 63$ a day. Hersheypark is more than that full price. Dianey also sometimes they run 3 for 2 or 5 for 4 deals. I guess es what im saying is that people don't often pay the 105$ a day price... I always buy my Hersheypark tickets online from the boy scouts. They are like $42 or so that way.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2015 12:54:55 GMT -5
I grab mine at Giant haven't been in awhile though. But the same truth there too... People rarely pay 'full ticket price' these days.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Jun 14, 2015 13:18:08 GMT -5
It's not just Disney. I was at Busch Gardens Tampa last week and a single ticket for ages 3 and up is $97 after taxes. Age 3! Think about that for a minute- they can't even ride 90% of the rides. Sea World is also just under $100. Universal Studios, you guessed it- just over $100 for a single day's admission.
But, that's if you are paying full value and not getting a package or using a coupon. Nobody does that.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2015 13:36:15 GMT -5
They have done a good job in convincing parents that it is a childhood entitlement. Yeah, it drives me crazy. I agree with southernsusana- I worry that these people who HAVE to take their kids to Disney are the same ones who claim they can't save for retirement or college. Sure, you can do it on a budget; I took DS when he was 7 and we stayed outside the park and went on a school break in November. There's this class system, though; you get in earlier if you stay on property, there are the other systems for priority in the long lines that come with attached costs, you CAN just buy your daughter a cap with Goofy ears but if you REALLY love her you'll take her to the Princess Store and have her outfitted with a gown, lace gloves, a tiara, sparkly plastic high heels and and a magic wand. DH and I have an insane travel budget but we prefer the authentic and historic, warts, strange languages, foreign currencies and all. I hope our granddaughter (and any future siblings) share those experiences with us as they get older.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2015 15:54:45 GMT -5
Yeah, it drives me crazy. I agree with southernsusana- I worry that these people who HAVE to take their kids to Disney are the same ones who claim they can't save for retirement or college. My ex-BIL and his wife took their 5 kids to Disney World last year, just the airfare had to be quite a chunk of change. SIL told me once that her kids were her retirement plan. I don't know if she was joking or not, but she doesn't work and her husband, while an engineer, doesn't make a lot considering the family size and the fact that they just bought a 4500 square foot house.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Jun 14, 2015 16:05:34 GMT -5
Yeah, it drives me crazy. I agree with southernsusana- I worry that these people who HAVE to take their kids to Disney are the same ones who claim they can't save for retirement or college. My ex-BIL and his wife took their 5 kids to Disney World last year, just the airfare had to be quite a chunk of change. SIL told me once that her kids were her retirement plan. I don't know if she was joking or not, but she doesn't work and her husband, while an engineer, doesn't make a lot considering the family size and the fact that they just bought a 4500 square foot house. My MIL said the same thing. She was a stay at home mom of 5 who made extra money crafting.
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obelisk
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Post by obelisk on Jun 14, 2015 16:27:01 GMT -5
I live close to Disneyland. We prefer California Adventure with Car Land. The regular price and yearly pass is outrageously expensive. In the past I have depended on the park employees to get a discount about 50% off regular prices. Even at the discount, it is over priced. We only frequent the park once a year at best. On another note, the visitors do not match the local California demographics. It is mostly out of state, country.
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bean29
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Post by bean29 on Jun 14, 2015 17:52:30 GMT -5
Nope. We've never gone there. It was on the list of things that would be nice to do, but, never happened.
On the positive side, our kids HAVE enjoyed our extended road trips to visit family. We went on several trips in a row.
We went to California and visited Rodeo Dr and Santa Monica pier (and some relatives), then we went to Florida and went to Universal Studios and then we went to Georgia and visited the World of Coke and the Atlanta Aquarium (and some relatives). DD said of all the trips we went on and all the things she did her favorite vacation event was shooting a rifle with her Dad, Grandpa, Uncle, Cousins etc. on the Georgia Trip. Cost was about $40 - DH sprung for the Amo and his brother's family provided the rifles.
It cracks me up when I think of all the expensive things we did on all the trips we went on.
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Jun 14, 2015 18:16:01 GMT -5
Nope. We've never gone there. It was on the list of things that would be nice to do, but, never happened.
On the positive side, our kids HAVE enjoyed our extended road trips to visit family. We went on several trips in a row.
We went to California and visited Rodeo Dr and Santa Monica pier (and some relatives), then we went to Florida and went to Universal Studios and then we went to Georgia and visited the World of Coke and the Atlanta Aquarium (and some relatives). DD said of all the trips we went on and all the things she did her favorite vacation event was shooting a rifle with her Dad, Grandpa, Uncle, Cousins etc. on the Georgia Trip. Cost was about $40 - DH sprung for the Amo and his brother's family provided the rifles.
It cracks me up when I think of all the expensive things we did on all the trips we went on.
Kids don't care how much things cost, as long as they're having fun. My kids have told me some of the favorite things we've done as a family include going fishing (we only had to pay for the license) & catching fireflies at a relative's house.
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CCL
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Post by CCL on Jun 14, 2015 18:50:01 GMT -5
There are bargains to be had. I sometimes go 2 or 3 times a year.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2015 19:55:55 GMT -5
It cracks me up when I think of all the expensive things we did on all the trips we went on. p] I once read an article by an Englishman who took his two kids (born and raised in the U.S.) to England. Everything bored them despite the ever- higher prices he was paying for exotic excursions. In desperation he got his old soccer gear from his parents' house and took them to the park. They found a group of local kids and played soccer every day after that.
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Mardi Gras Audrey
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Post by Mardi Gras Audrey on Jun 14, 2015 20:03:23 GMT -5
Remembering my childhood, most of the stuff that was the most fun was also the cheapest. Playing in the dirt at Grandma's farm, canoeing down a river on a float trip, Playing with my cousin in her playroom, camping at a campground with cherry trees everywhere, running through the woods at grandma's, swimming in the ocean in CA, etc. All of those were fun times and cost very little. We did go to Disney a few times and those were fun too but the cheap stuff sticks out s more memorable.
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trimatty471
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Post by trimatty471 on Jun 14, 2015 20:16:58 GMT -5
True the best vacations I had as a kid was when my family drove to SC to visit relatives. Price for a family of four in the 80s-90s? At max $200 for gas, tolls, food & etc.
i went to Disneyland with friends at age 26. My buddy and I went to Disney World when I was 36.
i don't think I would be taking my kids.
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Jun 14, 2015 20:19:02 GMT -5
Atlanta's aquarium was awesome. Far and beyond what I expected. We got discount tickets in connection with the football game we were in town for.
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ohmomto2boys
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Post by ohmomto2boys on Jun 15, 2015 7:20:43 GMT -5
We took the kids a couple years ago. Drove (from Ohio), stayed off-site, really watched what we spent on food. It cost us $1k for 4 people, 4 parks, 4 days just for the tickets (no hopper). Ugh. Will be go back? Not sure. We have a list of places we want to visit and Disney is not on the list in the near future. Plus, we are only a couple hours from Cedar Point and the roller coasters there are much better.
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MarleyKeezy78
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Post by MarleyKeezy78 on Jun 15, 2015 8:04:01 GMT -5
We took the kids a couple years ago. Drove (from Ohio), stayed off-site, really watched what we spent on food. It cost us $1k for 4 people, 4 parks, 4 days just for the tickets (no hopper). Ugh. Will be go back? Not sure. We have a list of places we want to visit and Disney is not on the list in the near future. Plus, we are only a couple hours from Cedar Point and the roller coasters there are much better. Cedar Point!!! We did that every summer when I was young Can't wait till DS is old enough to do that day trip! ETA: I wish Boblo Island was still around, good times!
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 15, 2015 8:22:12 GMT -5
Seems to me they are not overpriced until people stop going there.
It cost $50 each to go to the top of the Empire State Building. We were up there for an hour - maybe two, tops? And then we went on to some other activity that probably cost us just as much. $100 to be in a day of entertainment from early in the morning until late at night - sounds about right to me.
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Value Buy
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Post by Value Buy on Jun 15, 2015 8:24:36 GMT -5
Also that article points out all the high priced item. There are hotel rooms that are less than $100/night and include transportation to the parks. There are a lot of meals for under $10, etc. Where can I buy that hot dog and a small coke at Disney for ten dollars? Does it include fries? That's a meal?
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Jun 15, 2015 8:28:48 GMT -5
I want to go to Cedar Point again. I was looking at combo tickets for there and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I was in high school the last time I went to either one.
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Value Buy
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Post by Value Buy on Jun 15, 2015 8:41:08 GMT -5
We just did two weeks in Florida, driving from Indiana. It is just not the cost of the parks that is killing the middle class. Cost my wife and I just under $400 for gasoline, food, and two day's lodging going to and from. Meals were all fast food on the trip down and back, and one night stop for lodging both ways, with "free breakfast" in the lobby both mornings. Imagine if we had two kids with us, just to get there and back?
Probably could have flown Southwest for just a little more for two, but then you have the rental car once down there, unless staying at a Disney hotel...... Those of you arguing about multi day passes are just good ym'ers.
How many people can afford multi day passes for three or four kids? Don't most people try to do both Universal and Disney while there? Incidently, we still have two tickets from seven day paper passes with two day's admission on them. They were good forever, or at least that's what we were told at the time of purchase.
We are holding out until Disney raises prices to $200 a day to use them. Unfortunately in today's business world, all businesses must raise prices once or twice a year to increase returns for investors, or the stock price stagnates or drops, killing the investor's returns which is a killer on Wall Street.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2015 8:44:58 GMT -5
Cedar Point!!! We did that every summer when I was young Can't wait till DS is old enough to do that day trip! I went to Cedar Point with the Girl Scouts- it would probably have been 1967. Tickets were $4.50.I just checked the current price and it's $50 on-line. That's 5% inflation; not bad considering they probably have more to see and do, and more elaborate roller coasters now. "Fast Lane" tickets are $115. As I noted in my earlier post, you can save money but there will be definite tradeoffs. Every Fast Lane ticket they sell means the people with regular ticket have to wait longer. (Before Disney caught on, families were hiring people with physical disabilities that they didn't even know to accompany them so they could all go to the head of the line.)
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MJ2.0
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Post by MJ2.0 on Jun 15, 2015 9:29:25 GMT -5
Hasn't Disney been expensive for a long time? I remembered my parents complaining about how much disney cost when I was a kid. Besides, any nice vacation is pretty expensive these days when you're figuring in the cost of planes, accommodations, food, etc.
I think you'd pretty much find Disney filled with MOSTLY middle class families these days; they just are creating a space for higher priced options now. And if you can't go to Disney, so what? Most kids that don't have a trip to disney probably don't care that much in the grand scheme of things. Nope. You can have a great Cuban vacation, including flight, hotel and meal plan for under $500. Why do you think so many of us go there, over and over again? I suspect with the influx of American tourists on the horizon, it's going to get much more expensive.
www.411travelbuys.ca/Landing/toronto-cuba-deals.php
yeah but there's that pesky embargo thingy...
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Cookies Galore
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Post by Cookies Galore on Jun 15, 2015 9:37:06 GMT -5
Nope. You can have a great Cuban vacation, including flight, hotel and meal plan for under $500. Why do you think so many of us go there, over and over again? I suspect with the influx of American tourists on the horizon, it's going to get much more expensive.
www.411travelbuys.ca/Landing/toronto-cuba-deals.php
yeah but there's that pesky embargo thingy... The embargo is on the verge of being lifted, that's why she said American visitors on the horizon
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MJ2.0
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Post by MJ2.0 on Jun 15, 2015 9:45:36 GMT -5
I know, but that's going to take time and there's still some pushback.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2015 9:50:30 GMT -5
I would really like to go to Cuba someday. I love Key West and Puerto Rico.
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MJ2.0
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Post by MJ2.0 on Jun 15, 2015 9:54:09 GMT -5
I would really like to go to Cuba someday. I love Key West and Puerto Rico. I'd love to go to all three.
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shanendoah
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Post by shanendoah on Jun 15, 2015 10:12:47 GMT -5
I don't think Disney is pricing out the middle class, but it is a vacation destination, and like most destination vacations, yeah, you have to save up a bit for it (or put it all on credit cards, whatever).
We took a family of 4. We stayed at our timeshare location so no cost there (beyond our quarterly dues, which is built into our budget), got 5 day park passes for the girls and 4 day passes for us. The plane tickets did have to be changed less than a month before the trip to add the 2nd child. I think our total expenditures were around $3,500-4,000, plane tickets for 4 from Seattle being the largest part of that. We brought snacks into the park, ate at the IHOP right across the street once, or at restaurants along the Garden Walk between our location and the park.
It turned out to be a not great vacation because my daughter decided to turn into a little b**** for the trip, but that's nothing Disney can fix.
I don't think it's an entitlement. Nor do I expect we'll be going back anytime soon. But then, we may have decided that our daughter never gets to go on any vacation again, after her Disney attitude.
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shanendoah
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Post by shanendoah on Jun 15, 2015 10:18:11 GMT -5
Oh, and we made use of Fast Passes and getting to the park fairly early. We never stood in any line longer than 20 minutes, and that was a choice because the line was almost all in shade, and we needed a chance to slow down.
Plus, for the money we spent, we did also do a big Princess Character breakfast.
And another thing to consider. We went with friends who have food issues. One has Celiacs disease and even the slightest bit of cross contamination can make her really sick. Both friends can eat ANYWHERE at Disney, even the little food kiosks, with no problem. When you get to the cashier, you say, I have a food issue. They bring out one of the cooks to talk with you and it's all taken care of. At our character breakfast (both people with food issues were there), one of the chefs spent around 15 minutes at our table understanding the issues and making notes. It was such a blessing for our friend with Celiacs to be able to go somewhere and fave fun with everyone else, and eat with everyone else, and not get sick. And that's pretty fantastic.
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