Maybe it's just me...

[Wdw1015]

But don't you agree that it's a little ridiculous to have Halloween Parties in the middle of August?

It’s no secret that crowds are heavier than ever. So if they only had a handful of parties, people would complain about how busy they are and how Disney is all about making money just by shoving more people in the park during the parties. I think it’s a great move by them to add more to spread it out a little.

 

[hmcater]

I could cry reading your entire post. It’s sad and yet beautiful and hopeful all at once. You put it so eloquently. Yes. Yes. All of this. I haven’t suffered the tragedy you have (for which you have my deepest sympathies) but I have crippling anxiety and depression that I try so hard to fight and something, something about Disney takes away that pain and lets me be “normal” and happy and not a nervous wreck of fear and obsessive compulsive disorder and trying not to let my anxiety rule my life. That makes Disney worth it’s wait in gold to me. I love what you said because I get it. “It was like feeling the sun on my face for the first time.” Yes. All of this. And I don’t mean to discount your pain over the loss of your mom, because I know it’s not the same at all, but I wanted you to know I understand.

You're not discounting my pain at all! I'm so happy that I'm not the only one that feels an emotional connection to Disney. I'm so happy for you that you have a place at DW, that helps break down those walls for you and allows you such happiness!

 

[DisneyFive]

OP, my only advice is to give it time.

I felt somewhat like you after only our second trip, the year after our first visit. The first was so magical. Our 2nd just didn't live up even though that's what I was expecting/hoping. I was dead set on a Universal, or some other vacation the next time. After time, my bummed out feelings lessened and Disney crept right back in. We went again in 2013 and had an amazing vacation.

It was because we reset our expectations. I go in with my expectations and attitude shifted. I don't expect to be wowed around every corner, because that really only happens the first time. Some things you just can't expect to recreate. Those organic magical moments just happen, you can’t force them. Now we go in just hoping to make some magical memories. We plan, and plan beforehand to give ourselves our best shot at it, and the best we can do is pray for good weather and good health during the trip. Everything else will take care of itself. I think Disney still offers an amazing experience and I don't see many quality declines since 2010.

Now, having said that, I don't expect any less of Disney. I don't mind the upcharge for extras, but I DO mind when they negatively impact things that used to be included in the regular price of admission... and there are a number to list, many of them mentioned already.

Dan

 

[little_orange_bird]

You're not discounting my pain at all! I'm so happy that I'm not the only one that feels an emotional connection to Disney. I'm so happy for you that you have a place at DW, that helps break down those walls for you and allows you such happiness!

Thank you. I’m happy for both of us

 

[SaintsManiac]

Here is my perspective on it all. Sometimes what Disney gives us is worth more than the money that we pay them. On Jan. 1, 2012, my mom passed away from cancer. It was the darkest time in my life. She was my best friend to the core and when she left, she took a big part of me with her. I've always been a huge Disney fan since I was a little kid although I didn't get to DW until I was 20. I was also a CM at a Disney Store for awhile. I decided the fall after my mom passed away, that we just needed to get away from everyday life, take a breather. We went towards the end of Sept 2012. I can't tell you what my life was before that day, from when my mom passed to that trip. I have no memories of that time, that is how bad it was for me. It was like being locked in a dark room without the key to get out.

Some may find this cheesy but we're all Disney fans here, so I hope not. When I stepped back into that park with my kids for the first time, something inside of me came alive again. It was like feeling the sun on my face for the first time. I was able to smile and feel happy again, but most of all, I could feel my mom there with us. That to me, is true Disney magic. To me, that feeling is priceless and it's still the feeling I have every time that I'm there. Heck, it's the feeling when I think of going there. And as long as Disney keeps giving me that feeling, I will keep going. It's special to me.

My mom died in January of 2015 after a long illness. I threw myself into Disney planning and it helped me cope so much. I had not been since my honeymoon in 2009, so it kept me plenty busy.

Now I think of Disney as a way to manage anxiety and help me remember the joy in life. Seeing it through my daughter's eyes has changed everything.

 

[Lovetherodent]

Eh...I don't think it's a bad deal. I don't go to Disney every vacation or even every year, so I feel like when I compare costs with other vacations, Disney is pretty comparable. While the resort rooms are pretty pricey, I just don't think the other costs are exorbitant. Last year, I went to Niagara Falls (Canadian side). Paid or the whirlpool boat tour, which did not take all day, so have to find some other activities (that I had to pay for), paid for food, parking (both at the hotel and other venues), repeat next day... Cruises? Sure, initial booking is cheaper, but...drink package, specialty dining, shore excursions, spa services, etc. etc. If I stayed value/mod or off site, I don't think my Disney vacay would cost much more than any of the others I've taken recently

 

[hmcater]

My mom died in January of 2015 after a long illness. I threw myself into Disney planning and it helped me cope so much. I had not been since my honeymoon in 2009, so it kept me plenty busy.

Now I think of Disney as a way to manage anxiety and help me remember the joy in life. Seeing it through my daughter's eyes has changed everything.

Yes!! Planning is what also keeps that feeling alive, when we're not there!

 

[disneyseniors]

Making up for lost time when they should have been doing something other than sitting on their laurels? And how do you measure the value of new lands not opened yet? For that matter, how do you measure the value of new lands when so many of the older attractions are running at reduced capacity because of staffing cuts? Especially when the result of the reduced capacity (longer waits and the appearance of bigger crowds) seems to be being used as an excuse to create all these upcharges and add-on special events? Again, maybe it's just me but when you artificially create a bigger demand and then create an extra charge way to circumvent the artificially created demand, I can't help but feel that that's just sneaky and manipulative. And those are two words I never thought I'd associate with Disney.

You said exactly what I've been thinking about creating a false demand and then charging extra=sneaky and
manipulative behavior. That's what really burns me! I saw it for myself a few weeks ago. Low crowds and long waits! Shame on you Disney.

 

[little_orange_bird]

“Help me remember the joy in life”- I love that @SaintsManiac. Truly the heart of it all.

 

[bettymae1121]

I'm about to go next month for our first visit in 7 years. And while I'm confident we'll have a great time, both my DH and I have commented on how expensive it's gotten and how it must be getting out of reach for many families.

We are a family of 3 (2 adults one child) and all-in (airfare, etc.) we are dropping almost $5700 on 8 nights...and it's only that "low" because we are staying at the Dolphin on hotel points. That's right, $5700 and the hotel is all but free (still have to pay about $250 in resort fees for the stay). We are only doing 3 "add-ons", which are Memory Maker and two desert parties. Most days we're only having one table service meal a day (one of them being CRT, but still). Out of curiosity, just to see what a more basic trip would run, I ran the numbers where we ate counter service for all meals and dropped the two desert parties and it knocked about $900 off the budget, not chump change but that was still almost $4800 for a week at Disney and again - the hotel was free!

Here's the break down:

Flights from Chicago $913.20 (3 tickets)
Bag Fees (2 bags round-trip) $100.00
Hotel Resort Fees $252.00
Park Tickets -7 Day Hop $ 1,544.25 (2 adults 1 child)
Meals and parties $ 2,122.13
Town car service (for both ORD and MCO) $ 300.00
Photo/Memory Maker $169.00
Souvenirs/Misc. $ 265.00
Grand Total $5,665.58

We're a fortunate family, we have a good income and we budget/spend in our daily lives wisely. Even for us this is more of a "once every few years" kind of trip. DD is 6, I figure we'll go again when she's 8 or 9 and then a few years after that we'll do a Universal trip. And that may be it for us for theme park based week long vacations. I love Disney, but I can't justify spending that kind of cash year after year, not when there are other places in the US and abroad that we want to visit too.

 

[Davey Jones II]

I have a lot of friends that travel in the last half of August (before school starts in September) and they are pretty happy about the chance to attend a party during their trip! I think that it’s gonna be awfully hot then so the candy selection will be limited but for those who want to go a great! For those that don’t want to go that early - atleast they will work out the kinks before the September parties!

What if I visit in June and I want a Halloween party, too? Time for...the summer of Halloween! (Disney marketing department, take note!)

 

[Magpie]

I'm about to go next month for our first visit in 7 years. And while I'm confident we'll have a great time, both my DH and I have commented on how expensive it's gotten and how it must be getting out of reach for many families.

We are a family of 3 (2 adults one child) and all-in (airfare, etc.) we are dropping almost $5700 on 8 nights...and it's only that "low" because we are staying at the Dolphin on hotel points. That's right, $5700 and the hotel is all but free (still have to pay about $250 in resort fees for the stay). We are only doing 3 "add-ons", which are Memory Maker and two desert parties. Most days we're only having one table service meal a day (one of them being CRT, but still). Out of curiosity, just to see what a more basic trip would run, I ran the numbers where we ate counter service for all meals and dropped the two desert parties and it knocked about $900 off the budget, not chump change but that was still almost $4800 for a week at Disney and again - the hotel was free!

Here's the break down:

Flights from Chicago $913.20 (3 tickets)
Bag Fees (2 bags round-trip) $100.00
Hotel Resort Fees $252.00
Park Tickets -7 Day Hop $ 1,544.25 (2 adults 1 child)
Meals and parties $ 2,122.13
Town car service (for both ORD and MCO) $ 300.00
Photo/Memory Maker $169.00
Souvenirs/Misc. $ 265.00
Grand Total $5,665.58

We're a fortunate family, we have a good income and we budget/spend in our daily lives wisely. Even for us this is more of a "once every few years" kind of trip. DD is 6, I figure we'll go again when she's 8 or 9 and then a few years after that we'll do a Universal trip. And that may be it for us for theme park based week long vacations. I love Disney, but I can't justify spending that kind of cash year after year, not when there are other places in the US and abroad that we want to visit too.

For us, it was realizing that while Disney expenses are all up front, other vacations aren't necessarily cheaper. Cabs, rental cars, museum fees, concert tickets, theatre tickets, day trips... it adds up quickly! I was shocked how much I managed to spend in London, even trying to be frugal.

We also cut out a little of the expense of Disney by packing all our luggage in carry-ons, eliminating bag fees (I know you can't necessarily do that), purchasing annual passes (Memory Maker is included!), paying for flights with the Air Miles we collect at local stores, staying at a value resort and using Magical Express instead of cabbing or renting a town car, packing porridge for breakfast and only planning two or three "sit down" meals. Since having annual passes means we'll visit about 3 times a year, we don't bother with souvenirs. We rarely do parties, as we've found that Disney offers more than enough value without paying for upcharges. Though, we did book the Royal Tea Garden Tour for next trip. At 18 dollars per person, it seems like a decent value!

 

[maxiesmom]

It would be fine if they added upcharge events without taking away from those that choose not to participate, but that's not the case. The "best" fireworks viewing spots that used to be free to anyone? Not anymore. Park hours that used to be included in your ticket? Now shortened for parties. Less crowded times of year so shorter wait times? Nope, now they run at less capacity. I definitely feel like it affects those that choose not to pay for "extras".

I don't think the spots they charge for are the best spots. Also, park hours during the fall have always been shorter than during the summer. Those hours were never included. The only park that used to have fireworks on a nightly basis was Epcot. The other parks all closed and everyone flooded Epcot. Granted that was over 20 years ago, but it is still true.

 

[Davey Jones II]

The thing that I notice about most of these "Disney is alienating its long-time guests by increasing fees/prices" threads is that they start with a post indicating one's unhappiness with Disney along with a plan to still return in the future. I am not questioning the sentiment, or saying it is not a valid feeling to have. But Disney knows that there is such an emotional attachment to its product that it will take a lot for long-time guests to stop coming. And as for new guests, well they never knew Disney any other way. So unless these new fees/price increases/upcharges actually cause significant amount of repeat guest from coming, Disney has no reason not to do what publicly traded companies are supposed to do - maximize profits.

I've also read countless posts that say something like the following: "next time, we're going to Universal", "we used to go often, but now we're taking a break from Disney", "there are other places to visit". There are other variations, but you get the idea.

And among those who grumble but say they're going back, many say they used to go more often, or that the next one will be the last for a while. For many, Disney's moves may not be deal breaker yet, but it's a bad sign that formerly very loyal visitors are now complaining and cutting back on visits. Call me old fashioned, but I don't think any business can afford to alienate its most loyal customers.

Disney seems to be getting a record number of first timers and "once in a lifetime" visitors in recent years. Confronted by long wait times and heavy crowds, how many of those will be coming back?

 

[Davey Jones II]

I think Disney knows they make more money from the “one and done” crowd than us regulars. We just keep their rooms full but don’t buy their overpriced souvenirs. We aren’t their target, they don’t care about us.

I don't buy this at all. On a given trip, they may make more money from "one and done" guests. But, in the long run, loyal, repeat customers are the bread and butter of any business.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

I don't buy this at all. They may make more money from "one and done" on a given trip. But, in the long run, loyal, repeat customers are the bread and butter of any business.

I agree and it really comes down to how many of those loyal customers are willing to put their money where their mouth is. LOTS of people on here saying they are "done with Disney".....after this next trip....or after their AP runs out....or whatever. But how many will follow through? In the end, we can complain all we want about parking fees, price increases, too many add-ons, shorter park hours, etc etc etc. But all the complaining means nothing if we all continue to go (which the vast majority of us will

 

[Magpie]

I've also read countless posts that say something like the following: "next time, we're going to Universal", "we used to go often, but now we're taking a break from Disney", "there are other places to visit". There are other variations, but you get the idea.

And among those who grumble but say they're going back, many say they used to go more often, or that the next one will be the last for a while. For many, Disney's moves may not be deal breaker yet, but it's a bad sign that formerly very loyal visitors are now complaining and cutting back on visits. Call me old fashioned, but I don't think any business can afford to alienate its most loyal customers.

Disney seems to be getting a record number of first timers and "once in a lifetime" visitors in recent years. Confronted by long wait times and heavy crowds, how many of those will be coming back?

I'm curious how we can know this. I've been hearing people say for a least 20 years now that old timers are leaving in droves while being replaced by first timers who will never come back, but I don't know on what basis they're saying it.

I suppose that record attendance would have to include people who've never been before, otherwise attendance would be flat or even decreasing as the regulars naturally wander away/die off.

However, what evidence (other than people grumbling on the DisBoards) do we really have that all of these first timers are walking away from their vacation swearing, "Never again!" Do we really know for sure that the majority of these folks are "one and done", or are a bunch of them going to evolve into a new generation of regular visitors? They could form the basis of a whole new loaf of bread, and a brand new brick of butter, to feed the Disney corporation.

Purely anecdotally, one of the cashiers at my local store went with her family for the first time last year. It was supposed to be "one and done" - a once in a lifetime visit for the kids. However, even being horribly unprepared and totally confused as to how FPs work, they LOVED it. And now, a lady who used to regularly visit the Dominican on holiday, is planning to make Disney a regular part of her family's future vacations as well. (She was talking about doing alternate years - her favourite Dominican beach resort one year, and Disney the next.) She's the face of the new loyal Disney vacationer.

 

[Lilsia]

I'm about to go next month for our first visit in 7 years. And while I'm confident we'll have a great time, both my DH and I have commented on how expensive it's gotten and how it must be getting out of reach for many families.

We are a family of 3 (2 adults one child) and all-in (airfare, etc.) we are dropping almost $5700 on 8 nights...and it's only that "low" because we are staying at the Dolphin on hotel points. That's right, $5700 and the hotel is all but free (still have to pay about $250 in resort fees for the stay). We are only doing 3 "add-ons", which are Memory Maker and two desert parties. Most days we're only having one table service meal a day (one of them being CRT, but still). Out of curiosity, just to see what a more basic trip would run, I ran the numbers where we ate counter service for all meals and dropped the two desert parties and it knocked about $900 off the budget, not chump change but that was still almost $4800 for a week at Disney and again - the hotel was free!

Here's the break down:

Flights from Chicago $913.20 (3 tickets)
Bag Fees (2 bags round-trip) $100.00
Hotel Resort Fees $252.00
Park Tickets -7 Day Hop $ 1,544.25 (2 adults 1 child)
Meals and parties $ 2,122.13
Town car service (for both ORD and MCO) $ 300.00
Photo/Memory Maker $169.00
Souvenirs/Misc. $ 265.00
Grand Total $5,665.58

We're a fortunate family, we have a good income and we budget/spend in our daily lives wisely. Even for us this is more of a "once every few years" kind of trip. DD is 6, I figure we'll go again when she's 8 or 9 and then a few years after that we'll do a Universal trip. And that may be it for us for theme park based week long vacations. I love Disney, but I can't justify spending that kind of cash year after year, not when there are other places in the US and abroad that we want to visit too.

I don't think it is fair to count flights or transportation as part of the cost of WDW. You would need to pay that pretty much anywhere you went. I have been going to WDW for over 20 years and plan my life knowing I will have that expense. For example I fly SWA and so I have their credit card that I use to buy stuff with(pay it off at the end of the month) to earn my points. I have not paid for my flight down to WDW in the last three years because I used my points. I also stay on property and use magical express. I don't rent a car but use Disney transportation. Food, well you need to eat no matter where you are. You have to be a savvy traveler if you want to save money. But going anywhere is expensive now. Try pricing out a vacation anywhere else. If you want to be entertained by going to events or museums, you will pay a lot of money for that. I think even though WDW can be pricey, you get plenty of entertainment value from it.

 

[Thiago Acquaviva]

I’m going for the first time in October, and these kind of threads (plus Tuesday’s podcast, and other places that express the same sentiment) really scare me. I’m not saying that people’s experiences are not valid, and I’ve worked in the Disney Store so I do understand the expectations of good service that Disney creates.

We are going for 4 weeks on what was intended to be a once in a lifetime trip. I get very worried when I hear how many long-term visitors are being turned off, because this trip is very expensive and we will be there for a long time - if I want to leave after 5 days, we can’t!

I’m hoping that, because I don’t remember the “good old days”, that I will still enjoy the trip and not notice the drop in standards that so many regulars are frustrated by.

Relax, you gonna have a WONDERFUL and a MAGICAL time!
We are just arguing about the prices increases they're creating every single month year by year.
The magic still there, even for me that am new to this, I can say it's the most perfect and magical place of the entire world.
That's because I got so frustrating! because I want to be able to go whenever possible, but with these crazy increases things are getting more and more and more difficult.
but as much as we're considering the vacation itself, the parks, attractions, magic and place... Disney is Disney! you can never go wrong.
have a wonderful time

 

[Tigger in a kilt]

Relax, you gonna have a WONDERFUL and a MAGICAL time!
We are just arguing about the prices increases they're creating every single month year by year.
The magic still there, even for me that am new to this, I can say it's the most perfect and magical place of the entire world.
That's because I got so frustrating! because I want to be able to go whenever possible, but with these crazy increases things are getting more and more and more difficult.
but as much as we're considering the vacation itself, the parks, attractions, magic and place... Disney is Disney! you can never go wrong.
have a wonderful time

Thank you!