Disney World is the happiest place on earth, right? I’m not so sure. I recently took my toddler there, and she loved it – she was most excited to see Buzz Lightyear. She also didn’t want to get leave rides when they ended. I know I’ll make several more trips there, and my daughter will love it. At the same time Disney just costs a lot of money and isn’t actually that good.
- If all you buy is tickets you don’t get to do much. You need to purchase Genie+ as an add-on to be able to purchase enough Lightning Lane access to make efficient use of your time getting to actually ride rides or see shows. Otherwise you just buy tickets to spend your time in a couple of lines for the day.
Once you’re going to Disney, it’s a mistake not to spend because it’s the incremental dollars that get you the value out of the trip, and it’s a small expense relative to the total cost (including flights, hotel).
- But by the time you’re all in the expenses become once in a lifetime or out of reach for many. You’ll probably buy a toy and a souvenir. It’s $100 for lunch for a family of four at a quick serve restaurant, and the food is bad. There are nice restaurants, those are more expensive. Since I wasn’t going to make a full day of it with a three year old, I opted for the (really quite) bad food. Which gets back to much of Disney not even being that good.
- Two kinds of custom t-shirts are most common among park guests,
- Coordinated t-shirts for the whole family, “The [Last Name] Family Takes Disney World 2022”
- Some version of complaining about the cost, such as “Straight Outta Money” with Mickey ears. It’s usually the dad wearing this.
- Everyone is excited as they enter the park. By 11 a.m. adults all look unhappy. They’re sitting on ledges looking down at their phones, wondering why they did this and will the day be over soon?
I remember going as a kid for the first time, back when you bought packages of tickets and each ride had a different ticket value. An “E Ticket” became synonymous with the best rides not just at Disney but also life. And I went many times where it just wasn’t that busy. You could go ride numerous rides throughout the day without any special passes. Now the place is so crowded so often that you can’t do much and you pay a lot for the privilege of not getting much out of the trip.
Just my opinion but the standards (esp food) and quality of the experience is much better at the California parks.
@ Gary — I grew up 2 hours away, and it opened when I was a kid. They had discounts for FL residents, and it was great when it wasn’t crowded. Now, you couldn’t pay me to go there. It sounds absolutely miserable, much like a flight in economy.
Nobody goes there anymore: It’s too crowded.
Like ALL things that started out as being good, Disney has turned into a gouge machine. I would and never will take my family to any of the Disney sites.
Yikes. Long time disney fan here and just got back from a father/college son trip. Yes, the parks are more busy than they were pre COVID. So was Hawaii a couple months ago. Yes, the costs are sky high and only going higher. But, there just isn’t anywhere else that comes close to Disney theming/immersion/quality. We had an amazing time and only chose to buy the genie+ for one day at magic kingdom. You really need it there if you want to ride most of the rides. Not all adults are unhappy as you described. I know plenty that plan and have a great time. If you don’t plan, you can get overwhelmed and be disappointed. This is one case where it pays to do your homework or find someone who knows the parks well. There is a reason that the parks are packed even though they have crazy high prices. Where was your bad food? Did you research it beforehand? Disney has lots of great food and some really good quick service restaurants. They have quite a few superb restaurants, too. Disney world isn’t for everyone. It sounds like it isn’t your thing but to say that Disney World isn’t that good just sounds ignorant. What are you comparing it to?
The worst food poisoning I ever got was at Disney Anaheim. It is the only time in my life I’ve ever had to stick my fingers down my throat to get rid of food.
Showing my age. When I was a kid we went to Disney World opening day. Busy but not like today. I understand that the admission was $3.50 but I was too young to remember. My wife and I went in 2019 and I got travel agent discount tickets and we stayed at a Disney Springs area hotel on business so the out-of-pocket cost wasn’t bad but it’s gotten out of hand for sure. It’s cheaper to go to Europe for a family than pretend to visit Europe in Florida.
Save money by staying at Disney Vacation Club timeshare. Rent from an owner.
Just another woke company. I hear they make you yell “Gay!!!” on the way in ….and they hand you a prefilled democrat ballot which you’re expected to deposit in the ballot box which they will they will then take to Tallahassee or DC at 3am on election night.
It’s an expensive mall surrounded by amusement park carnival rides.
I’m soooo fortunate my young family was a able to experience and enjoy the annual Anaheim “Disney ” thing with my young family in the late 70’s to the late 90’s before the park devolved to the human zoo it is today.
In 2019, prior to Covid pandemic now as young grandparents, elected to accompany & sponser our now adult children with three grands for a midweek stay at the Anaheim Disney resort with full access to both parks ……Never Again!
I 100% concur with Gary’s assessment.
100’s options out there providing a more fufillfng and fun for all enexperience with improved bang for the buck.
Even with the VIP tours, Disney gets boring after a while and I get tired of the kids. What’s ridiculous is that VIP tours sell out 3-6 months in advance now. This summer we’re going to try again with VIP tours and two nannies so my wife and I don’t have to push the strollers and I can drink more. Epcot sells glasses of Veuve for $12, no grat or tip. Crazy cheap even though Veuve is mediocre.
Just got back two days ago from Disneyland and it wasn’t my favorite experience with my husband and 4 kids. We’ve gone quite a lot over the years to both Orlando and this was our second time to Anaheim (last visiting in March 2019 days before covid was shutting down the world). My husband and 2 and 4 year olds got sick so that significantly tainted the experience with vomit, but even at the Grand Californian Resort- it wasn’t as clean as I’d anticipate, and The Yacht Club at WDW seemed nicer than this top level resort. To me the food is far better at WDW than DL (Boma, Ohana are prime examples). Planning has to be done and rope dropping the parks as well, but overall I wasn’t impressed with the crowds or price and loss of amenities.
I came home tired and deflated and lost the Disney magic that’s always been inside. I’m curious, what other family friendly experiences would you recommend that isn’t Disney?
My wife and I went to Disney Land in Anaheim back in around 1982-3 before we moved to the US. It was the first time I had seen signs in queues that said “1 hr. wait”, and longer. I haven’t been inside a Disney Land or World since and have absolutely no desire to.
As one is wont to say: “If an atom bomb dropped on Disney World it would do about $0.50 worth of damage”, i.e., it’s a waste of space. And now, it seems, a woke waste of space to boot.
We have been to most of the Disney Parks. If China ever reopens, try Shanghai Disney. It is the best of them
All this bitching.
And children are being killed in the Ukraine.
Only in America.
They should double the price of the vip tours so they don’t sell out so quickly 😉
Florida resident here–by law, Disney World is required to sell Florida Resident passes at a discount to locals.We live about 1 hour away, and we’ve bought the passes just to visit Epcot at night and eat dinner on occasion. Just looked at the price–an eye-popping $399 p/p + tax and only M-F access allowed and reservations (looks like there are very few blackout dates).
We no longer visit the parks as the passes are outrageously expensive. We do, however, sometimes make dinner reservcations at Jiko or Boma restaurants at Animal Kingdom Lodge. As long as you have the ressie you can clear the gate and dine at the hotel. We occasionally do this when I need an Africa fix, as the entire ambiance of the hotel is very much like Africa, down to the smokey smell of the boma.
@ CHRIS — Typical closet case.
First world angst…..
Just gotta start bringing your own food. This is what people do. Breakfast items in the room that is picked up from Walmart. And snacks and food to the Parks.
“Now the place is so crowded so often that you can’t do much”
Shows you the entry fee is still TOO LOW.
Or it might just be that you’re old.
I just have to laugh out loud that someone thinks that a $400 annual pass is eye-popping! That’s absolutely hilarious! Have you not bought anything in the last two years?
@Dwondermeant – adding extra VIP guides should be costless to Disney and its so profitable, I don’t understand why they can’t train someone in 2 days.
I get the appeal of Disney and their magical experience. What I don’t get is families visiting with their multiple times per year, or weeklong vacations there every year. It’s all about manufactured and inauthentic. And the thought of going there in the dead of Florida summer is brutal for everyone
Gotta pay morning to broadcast sports and hire announcers $50 million per year for Monday Night Football
Walt Disney would be turning over in his grave. I’ll never go back to the Disney Greed Kingdom ever again.
Never understood Disney. Never been. It falls below the lowest rung on the totem pole and I’d rather camp in Alaska in January than thrust myself into such commercialism. At least the camping would provide a stoic experience. To each their own!
I remember as a kid 25 years ago being able to run up to the characters and have them sign the autograph book. Today, there is a 1 hour line just for pictures with a character. It’s crazy.
Disney World is a special experience for kids and anyone who went there as a kid and has memories. It is still enjoyable because of the memories and nostalgia. The Magic Kingdom will always be special. You really need 2 days at the Magic Kingdom. I was disappointed with Epcot as they took out a bunch of nice rides. Hollywood Studios has the roller coasters and Tower but most of the others aren’t that hot outside of Starwars. The muppets show is just ok and Indiana doesn’t hit it after seeing it for the 4th time.
Disney would be better for guests with capacity controls. The price is not the issue if we can enjoy our day and not wait in line for most of it. Disney should eliminate annual passes and limit a visit to a 2 week block a year per person. Prices would be higher but there would be more goodwill and a better experience for guests. People may spend more money at parks if they aren’t waiting in line for most of it.
I remember those individual tickets. Now it’s just a terrible cash grab, pricing many families out from partaking. Last time I went to Disneyland we were so bored we went to the bar in Downtown Disney three different times just to get away from it. Ride, drink, ride, drink, ride, drink. Leave
Our 6 year old has not – and will not – go to a Disney park. We run a Disney-free household. It’s really not that hard to have no involvement with the brand.
@Ryan What’s the point of that?
@Pierre, what’s the point of Disney? I honestly can’t think of anything he is missing. It’s just a corporation peddling a middling product for the mass market. The movies are all the same with predictable endings. For the cost of one Disney vacation, we can make two trips to Europe, go to Africa, Egypt, etc.
@farnorthtrader is correct. Shanghai Disney is the best single Disney park in the world, and anyone who fancies Disney should take the time to go. It has the best ride I have seen at any amusement park anywhere: Shanghai Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” is what I might imagine rides might look at 50 years in the future. Shanghai Disney often offers a combo ticket that includes a ticket to their 2 hour stage production of _Beauty and the Beast_ as well as a ticket to the park: when I went, this combo ticket ran about $60. You can stay in a very decent hotel in central Shanghai for $30 and a fantastic 5-star Hyatt for about $100; of course the subway runs straight to Disney and costs about 50 cents. During my last visit, wait times for the best rides were about five minutes.
Back when it was allowed, I figured out it is much cheaper and more enjoyable to fly all the way to China for my Disney vacation, rather than fighting with the crowds in Orlando and Anaheim. And I lived 10 miles for California Disneyland. Asia is just a better place for Disney.
Been Disney-free since ’93. McLovin’ It.
Moved to Florida last year with our 5 year old son. Felt obligated to do Disney and took advantage of Resident pricing during Covid. $50 per person per day for 4 day park hopper. Great deal.
Many rides had half the seating blocked off but I’m pretty sure Disney capacity controlled the ticket sales at greater than 50%, so lines were actually longer than usual.
We subscribed to an online Disney planner app and had good ride strategy. Avatar, GM Test track (Epcot), Tower of Terror, Aerosmith Coaster and Expedition Everest were truly GREAT rides. Just wonderful.
Most everything else felt like recycled junk or manufactured time killers unworthy of waiting 20 minutes for, let alone 60 minutes for Dumbo that starts turning off the second you reach altitude. A lot of rides take longer to load passengers than the actual ride length.
The Star Wars stuff was just ok. Can’t figure out these rides try to have long convoluted story lines that I just can’t follow. Got lucky to get Rise of Resistance tickets but saw many kids crying and disappointed parents. People come from around the world. There must be a fairer system. If someone is willing to wait all day for the ride, let them get on it via someone who was lucky with the app. Don’t advertise a ride if you’re not guaranteed to go on it.
I had better childhood memories of awesome rides at Universal than Disney so recently used our Amex plat FHR $200 benefit to get decent deal for 1 night stay on grounds at Lowes Portofino. Came with express pass for both days. FL resident park admissions.
Almost every ride at Universal was the same 3D junk. Boring and repetitive. Everything simulated and overly fake. Must be cheap to scale development when the rides are all the same save scripts.
Glad to get these out of our systems. We won’t be returning anytime soon.
“@ CHRIS — Typical closet case.” I laughed. He may not be all that far off sadly.
“it’s not that good” seems like a subjective comment, betting your daughter thinks it is and so do millions out there. I haven’t been a fan since my teens, and that was over at the end of the 60’s but I still think it deserves “it isn’t that good, imho”
LOL. Both of those claims cannot be true at the same time…
Gary, I enjoy Disney for the same reason I like miles and travel — it’s a complex optimization problem with large and changing corpus of rules.
If you approach it as a system to master and put in the research to understand and master the system with help from good data sources (eg, DisneyTouristBlog, touringplans, food reviews at allears, or find a friend who has done all this legwork) you can have a great time and avoid the problems you identify.
Consider approaching it as you do travel. Just like the travel game, if you approach it without that understanding, it’s not good value and not a very good experience.
@Pierre– $399 p/p plus tax = $430 p/p. Thus, a couple is $860- per year, which does not include parking. Or food in the park. Or the additional costs for Genie +. Two children would bring the price up to $1700-, just to get into the parks alone.
IF a couple or a family, living locally, would make the trek into the park one night a week, on only a weekday, then there would be some value to the pass. But if they were to visit just one weekday or one evening a month, then that becomes somewhat costly, IMHO. For the couple that would mean a minimum $100, not including food. And assuming the couple works a 9-5 job, then the hours psent at the park would be night hours, generally 7-10 or so, depending upon park schedule.
I agree with others, one can go elsewhere and get bigger bang for the buck. By the time our child was 9 or so we no longer went to Disney; she wanted thrill rides–read: Universal Studios or Busch Gardens. And we started to do a lot more overseas trips, with good cruise deals in Europe and Asia, as well as moderately-priced African safaris during the off-season, our summer.
It’s my understanding there are 3 Disney types: the off-campus, bring snacks, and keep the costs down type. And then there is the another component, which is the take-a-loan-out-from-the-credit-union group, for whom a $8000- week at Disney. Of course, there is a 3rd component, for whom $8000 or $10,000 for a week at DisneyWorldl is no big deal. I’m guessing that group is in the minority.
There is a general and profound lesson pertaining to the mile/point game in this statement:
I agree wholeheartedly, but good luck with that, as the miles and travel being “a complex optimization problem with large and changing corpus of rules” is precisely what Gary seems to hate about it. He would rather things remain the same instead of being a “large problem with a “changing corpus of rules” requiring optimization to enjoy…
Case in point: Just the other day, he asserted the following as evidence of how Hilton has “gutted” their Honors loyalty program:
Seriously. Leaving aside the nonsense that because of “the elimination of ‘double dipping’ which the program was known for base earning isn’t even as good as Marriott , IHG or Hyatt”, when the changes in earning structure that accompanied the elimination of “double-dipping” actually boosted HH Golds’ base earning 3% and had no effect at all on HH Diamonds’ base earning, which is actually higher than those of the programs listed, the quoted statement is truly bizarre coming from someone who makes a living peddling credit cards and ought to know better !
A decade ago, Hilton did not have a co-branded credit card that awarded 14x, which now boosts Hilton Diamonds’ “base earning” to 34x, making it possible to earn 50K HH points after just one ~$1,500 revenue stay. Then, if you couple that with Hilton’s lucrative 2x/3x promos (e.g., Q4 2021 promo) from which Diamonds can earn 54x (usually conveniently left out in claiming that HH members’ “base earning isn’t even as good as Marriott, IHG or Hyatt”), earning 50K HH points would require a single ~$950 revenue stay !
Let that sink in for a minute and then tell me how it would make sense for Hilton Honors to still charge award rates that they charged a decade ago, considering the dramatic increases in the earning of redeemable points that happened since !!!
Take home lesson courtesy of @mj (paraphrasing):
“Miles and travel must be approached as a complex optimization problem with a large and changing corpus of rules [to solve], or it’s not good value and not a very good experience.”
No wonder I almost always find value and have good experiences as the game changes, when others see nothing but doom!
G’day!
I agree it is far too expensive for what you get. I think they have a real problem. If they charged enough to actually reduce the demand and crowding by a significant amount, they’d be accused of being elitist. So now they charge enough to line their pockets but give everyone with a checkbook a poor experience. We were pricing out Disney for our family of six this spring/summer for about a week with some friends, and we were in for around $12,500 between plane tickets ($3,000) and a reasonable hotel setup for us (two rooms @ 700/night). That doesn’t include the Disney expenses or food.
Pass. We’re spending $4,500, my parents are matching that $4,500, and we’ve rented an oceanfront home three hours away (well within our driving radius) for more nights than we would have been at Disney.
$700 per night and people are ignorant to pay that? How stupid do you have to be?
It’s not Disney’s fault that people are so uninformed when it comes to planning a vacation. It has all the made up magic included so lazy parents don’t have to plan anything. Has room food and entertainment. People are willing to pay for the convenience. That is why they can keep raising the price and they know that. You build and they will come.
@Kevin – not seeing how standing in line all day in the hot Florida sun is convenient. I think parents make the fatal mistake of introducing their kids to Disney and, at that point, it’s pre-ordained that at least one Disney “vacation” is in their future. We decided not to introduce Disney* to avoid the issue.
* Exception being the 1950/60 live action movies like Old Yeller, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Swiss Family Robinson, etc. (but those aren’t really Disney) and the 1920s/30s Silly Symphony shorts.
I have to say I agree. I got back a couple weeks ago from taking my 5- and 6-year-old grandkids to one day at MK and another at HS (I live in Miami Beach). I haven’t been there since my kids went 20 years ago. It was a nightmare figuring out Genie Plus (and people’s phones kept running out of charge), there were way too many people, characters were non-existent cuz of covid still, it was hard to get food, and the Jungle Cruise, supposedly redone, is still the most incredibly boring ride ever with the longest line. I would advise not going here until people are willing to use their passports to lessen the load in Florida. Give yourself a couple of years yet. And don’t take a 3-year-old! Age 5 at minimum unless it’s mostly for you.
Only DCS could Mickey Mouse a Disney thread into yet another Hilton shill…
According to my wife, Disney is like anal sex. It is a PITA but every couple of years she will indulge me and go there. Both experiences, in their own way, reinforce our decision not to have any more kids.
vodkasmoothie- your response is not funny, just sick