I've never minded paying for what I perceive as value, but I hate feeling like I haven't paid enough

[JakeAZ]

That's how planning a Disney vacations feels now.

It doesn't matter what your "budget" is. Disney is constantly trying to find ways to bust it, without actually offering anything extra.

I get it, they are a for-profit corporation, but it just feels dirty now. I don't mind when Taco Bell says "do you want to make that drink a medium for .10 more?" It's different when Disney says, "do you want to add something that used to be included (FP) onto your trip for an extra $360?" , "I know, we don't have enough ride capacity on ROTR, but we can get your family on for an extra $100" or "Would you like the park less crowded? Here's 4 hours after our regular paying guests leave for $250pp"

Again, I get it. They don't owe me anything.

But, like the title says, I hate feeling like what I've spent or committed to spend, isn't good enough for the company I'm giving it to.

Disney is in a unique situation where they don't really have to value their guests. The hotels are full, the parks are full, but the surveys come back with poor results. People are rushing to throw money at whatever the newest offering is. You can't blame them for this shift over the last decade or so, but it doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

I enjoy Disney parks. I have since I was a kid. But I don't want to feel like an upside down piggy bank being shaken the entire trip for that last coin to come out.

 

[FCDub]

Lots of threads about this, so you're not alone.

 

[persnickity2020]

I think they've gone too far with adding soooooo many different opportunities to spend more money and make your trip better. Most of us can't afford to do them all, or even several. So now we have to pick one or two and stress out that we are making the wrong choice, or worry we are missing out on something. All while feeling a little grumbly that it used to be so much cheaper to get a similar experience, because it was just included with the ticket. There have always been optional extras, but they were so narrowly focused that it didn't feel so much like the trip wouldn't be worth it without them.

For our trip, after hours was just too over the top expensive to feel worth it. So now I need to decide what can fill that hole. Hoppers? An added half day? Split stay with a deluxe in hope of getting evening hours? Genie+? Don't do ANY of those things and just throw that money at specific rides? Too many decisions, not enough information, and it's just not really fun anymore. If we didn't have tickets to use from the park closure, I don't think we'd be going any time soon.

 

[MissionMouse]

I perceive for many of us that we made comittments to others regarding this year's Disney vacation well prior to their behaviors. We see it and feel it. We won't forget it either. Overpriced with lowering value. We look at each other and agree we will not be back for a long time...maybe, as there are other destinations providing greater value, respect and relaxation.

 

[Grumpy by Birth]

But I don't want to feel like an upside down piggy bank being shaken the entire trip for that last coin to come out.

 

[JenLT]

Right it’s not like Taco Bell asking if you want to make it a medium for 10 cents more. It’s like them saying ice is a dollar more and a straw is 50 cents.

 

[larjani]

I think they've gone too far with adding soooooo many different opportunities to spend more money and make your trip better. Most of us can't afford to do them all, or even several. So now we have to pick one or two and stress out that we are making the wrong choice, or worry we are missing out on something. All while feeling a little grumbly that it used to be so much cheaper to get a similar experience, because it was just included with the ticket. There have always been optional extras, but they were so narrowly focused that it didn't feel so much like the trip wouldn't be worth it without them.

For our trip, after hours was just too over the top expensive to feel worth it. So now I need to decide what can fill that hole. Hoppers? An added half day? Split stay with a deluxe in hope of getting evening hours? Genie+? Don't do ANY of those things and just throw that money at specific rides? Too many decisions, not enough information, and it's just not really fun anymore. If we didn't have tickets to use from the park closure, I don't think we'd be going any time soon.

Very insightful, and so true for us. We were planning on doing The After Hours Christmas party until we saw the prices. No way. $836 for 4 hours.

 

[buffy71]

That's how planning a Disney vacations feels now.

It doesn't matter what your "budget" is. Disney is constantly trying to find ways to bust it, without actually offering anything extra.

I get it, they are a for-profit corporation, but it just feels dirty now. I don't mind when Taco Bell says "do you want to make that drink a medium for .10 more?" It's different when Disney says, "do you want to add something that used to be included (FP) onto your trip for an extra $360?" , "I know, we don't have enough ride capacity on ROTR, but we can get your family on for an extra $100" or "Would you like the park less crowded? Here's 4 hours after our regular paying guests leave for $250pp"

Again, I get it. They don't owe me anything.

But, like the title says, I hate feeling like what I've spent or committed to spend, isn't good enough for the company I'm giving it to.

Disney is in a unique situation where they don't really have to value their guests. The hotels are full, the parks are full, but the surveys come back with poor results. People are rushing to throw money at whatever the newest offering is. You can't blame them for this shift over the last decade or so, but it doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

I enjoy Disney parks. I have since I was a kid. But I don't want to feel like an upside down piggy bank being shaken the entire trip for that last coin to come out.

I agree with you. I am not mad about it, more sad. Luckily I have many amazing trips to wdw, but I think our next scheduled trip will be our last for a long time. My estimates are showing a very significant increase for me to take my family to wdw.

 

[buffy71]

I perceive for many of us that we made comittments to others regarding this year's Disney vacation well prior to their behaviors. We see it and feel it. We won't forget it either. Overpriced with lowering value. We look at each other and agree we will not be back for a long time...maybe, as there are other destinations providing greater value, respect and relaxation.

This! I have DVC points I need to use and scheduled next trip for my daughters 21st bday. So for that reason I don’t want to cancel. After that, I will save my dvc points for non park resorts.

 

[jknc]

Theres no shortage of folks distraught with the escalating costs with little to show for it.

My question is what is anyone doing about it?

 

[buffy71]

Theres no shortage of folks distraught with the escalating costs with little to show for it.

My question is what is anyone doing about it?

For me, I will take my planned upcoming trip, but the big difference will be I won't be planning another one. Instead of having one or two annual trips, we will vacation someplace else. Instead of my kids carrying on the tradition of planning annual vacation trips as adults, they will look for alternatives... it is a cycle. Next trip for parks will be planned at Universal. I lost the cost savings for WDW vacation. I could use my DVC to stay in Florida and go do other things. Since Magical Express will be gone, no savings to me to just stay on Disney property and do Disney Parks. Even Magic hours are gone. We reached the point where we don't like to rope drop, so extra half hour in mornings is meaningless.

 

[BrotherCraig]

This is why more and more people will be staying off-site. Makes more sense economically. Stay in a way better hotel, room, and get more bang for your buck for the fraction of the cost of staying on-site. That way - you save money and have more wiggle room for the Park extras, etc. I agree. This is insane. Last time we went was 2016 and we did the after-hours Christmas deal. It was great but these prices are getting out of hand. They will still pack it in though so nothing will change. We are staying on-site this time around but won't after this unless we find an amazing deal with DVC rentals or something.

 

[lahobbs4]

Theres no shortage of folks distraught with the escalating costs with little to show for it.

My question is what is anyone doing about it?

I've kept going during every change that I wasn't exactly happy about. This is the first time that I feel at peace about not going back for a few years. With the money we typically spend on a yearly WDW trip for our family of 5 and our yearly runDisney weekend, we can take a very nice Alaskan cruise next summer. Or even travel to Europe.. so many things we haven't tried before because WDW felt like home.

 

[crazymomof4]

agree we will not be back for a long time...maybe, as there are other destinations providing greater value, respect and relaxation.

Yup! We HAVE to keep our Oct WDW trip but I'm feeling like it'll be the last for a while. I've started looking at what my *Disney Parks vaca money* (the amount I usually save up) could buy at other destinations.
Just in the past week I've looked over Universal on-site hotels and others in the Orlando area. Boy, some are really nice and for the same or less than a WDW deluxe or even a mod (thinking of recent rack rate increases)
Also came across a deluxe-level resort in my own state. Grand Cascade Lodge in northern NJ. It looks beautiful. Breathtaking vistas! Great pools and other resort amenities and activities. There's great golf nearby for my guys and antique shops, hiking trails and a water park nearby for my DD and I. The resort rooms aren't cheap but I don't have to pay for airfare, rental car or park tickets! We are def going sometime soon! Here this is in my "backyard" so to speak and I never heard of it! I should write Disney and thank them for helping me to discover this! I wonder what else is out there??? Excited to find out! Definitely doing some National Park trips!!

 

[Marionnette]

Theres no shortage of folks distraught with the escalating costs with little to show for it.

My question is what is anyone doing about it?

We are DVC, so that puts us in a use it or lose it situation. We're going to use up the points we banked into our Dec 2021 UY and run out my existing AP. Then we will bank the remaining points into December 2022 and see how we feel about Disney. Most likely, we will rent the points out and someone else can open their wallets to the mouse. We may eventually decide to sell our contracts.

During the trips we have planned, we won't be plussing out anything. No GF cabana. No after-hours party. No fireworks dessert parties (if they return) and no Morning Magic if it's a thing. Disney always managed to get me to spend a good amount of money on at least 3 of those things every visit. But not during the next visits.

I'll get grocery delivery and cook in the villa more. I love eating breakfast out but I can do that for a lot less at home and now that TiW looks like it's not returning, breakfast at Disney is a little too pricey. We'll do our cocktails and appetizers in the villa before going out to dinner and return there for coffee and dessert afterward. We may even order dinner to be delivered via UberEats or GrubHub. We will have a car, so offsite dining is not off the table.

Disney probably won't care that they've lost us as customers. I keep reading that someone else will take my place. That's fine for "someone else". I hope they have deep pockets.

 

[Eastern]

I perceive for many of us that we made comittments to others regarding this year's Disney vacation well prior to their behaviors. We see it and feel it. We won't forget it either. Overpriced with lowering value. We look at each other and agree we will not be back for a long time...maybe, as there are other destinations providing greater value, respect and relaxation.

Absolutely. My family had already requested vacation time so although I really wanted to reschedule, I am going.

 

[Eastern]

My question is what is anyone doing about it?

I expect that future trips will be less often, off-site, and include a rental car.

 

[Tormania]

Very insightful, and so true for us. We were planning on doing The After Hours Christmas party until we saw the prices. No way. $836 for 4 hours.

For that kind of money you might as well enjoy a full day at Universal PLUS one night accommodations.

 

[JakeAZ]

Theres no shortage of folks distraught with the escalating costs with little to show for it.

My question is what is anyone doing about it?

That's a good question.

For us, like others on here, we had credits (DVC rental, airline) that needed to be used. Plus this upcoming trip is a big milestone birthday trip and there are 13 of us. We would like the kids to experience it with their cousins and aunts / uncles / grandparents. We also locked most of this in (DVC rentals being non-refundable) well before most of these changes were announced.

So, we will do this one and then, most likely, that will be in it for quite some time. Maybe we'll come back and do the Star Wars hotel when my boys are teenagers 10 or so years from now. Maybe we'll never be back.

I just know I have no desire to plan another one of these trips, with the current "value" proposition WDW is offering.

 

[kps7795]

That's how planning a Disney vacations feels now.

It doesn't matter what your "budget" is. Disney is constantly trying to find ways to bust it, without actually offering anything extra.

I get it, they are a for-profit corporation, but it just feels dirty now. I don't mind when Taco Bell says "do you want to make that drink a medium for .10 more?" It's different when Disney says, "do you want to add something that used to be included (FP) onto your trip for an extra $360?" , "I know, we don't have enough ride capacity on ROTR, but we can get your family on for an extra $100" or "Would you like the park less crowded? Here's 4 hours after our regular paying guests leave for $250pp"

Again, I get it. They don't owe me anything.

But, like the title says, I hate feeling like what I've spent or committed to spend, isn't good enough for the company I'm giving it to.

Disney is in a unique situation where they don't really have to value their guests. The hotels are full, the parks are full, but the surveys come back with poor results. People are rushing to throw money at whatever the newest offering is. You can't blame them for this shift over the last decade or so, but it doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

I enjoy Disney parks. I have since I was a kid. But I don't want to feel like an upside down piggy bank being shaken the entire trip for that last coin to come out.

The biggest problem that my wife and I have (we've been annual passholders for the past 14 years staying at the Deluxe Resorts) is that they keep taking things away (like FP+ etc) while they consistently raise the ticket and resort prices. I have always perceived getting tremendous value from the vacation dollars that we spend at Disney World, but I believe that the moves in recent years have eroded that sentiment.