It's been a rather quiet couple of weeks since we've been back from Branson. I've not done a whole lot of "out and about" stuff that I can write about.
So instead this post is going to be about one of my favorite vacation places, Walt Disney World and how I just might stop going there.
I must state up front that this subject is kind of a complex issue and has a lot of elements to it. Please understand that all must be presented to prove my point and yet it's not everything I have to say on the subject, just the highlights. Ok, let's get into it.
I have been to Walt Disney World 5 times over the last 15 years. They have all been special and I have a heart full of treasured memories from each and every one of them. They include: our first family vacation with just Paula, me and our 2 sons; a 50th birthday trip, a 13th wedding anniversary trip; a solo 56th birthday trip, and my grand daughter's first trip where she met Minnie Mouse.
Over the years the cost and complexity of visiting WDW has gotten higher and higher. Almost to the point where I am beginning to question if the price point has finally forced me to fold and walk away from the WDW vacation game.
The factors that have become a part of every Walt Disney World trip have made me start to seriously ask the question that I ask when I see mountain climbers attempting to climb Mount Everest. Why would anyone want to go through or do that on their vacation?
Even if you are not a WDW fanatic like I am, you have probably heard a lot of news about it over the last year and especially this past month.
Toy Story land opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios last summer and Star Wars Galaxy's Edge is set to open this coming August. Disney is promoting the heck out of this resort changing opening. There is also a new gondolier style lift transportation system opening late this year as well.
There have been commercials for both of the new "lands" running on TV and the internet for quite a while. Disney wants everyone to know what's new and exciting to draw them to their parks.
What the average person doesn't know is that Disney has been passing on the costs of these new things to their guests by increasing prices and adding fees.
It has become almost certain that at least twice a year park ticket prices will go up at least 5% to 10%. They crossed the $100 threshold back in 2015 and have never looked back.
A couple of years ago, in addition to their already seasonally tiered hotel price structure, Disney tiered their park ticket prices based on the time of the year and park you wanted to visit. A single day ticket could cost you as much as $125. But the more days you pay for the less you pay. A 7 day pass for 1 park per day could cost as "little" as $61 per day.
In the last couple of weeks WDW annual pass prices have increased an average of $200.
Increasing parking fees at the theme parks and over night parking fees at the resorts is another way the cost of a trip to see Mickey and his friend in Florida has increased. Other incidental costs have been implemented too. I won't go into them but they are there. Disney has gained a reputation for "nickel and diming" their guests constantly.
While Disney on-property hotel rates have been tiered for many years, over the last few years they have expanded to pricing tiers within the tiers. No longer is there deluxe, moderate, and value. There are several levels of each. Family suites at value resorts are closer to a moderate rate than the standard value hotel room. Same for the moderate and the deluxe.
By the way, I must take a paragraph or two to rant over my feelings about deluxe resorts. How can anyone pay $500 or more for one night at a Disney Deluxe resort? During a WDW vacation all you basically do is shower and sleep at your hotel. Now I know it might be nice to stay at a deluxe a night or two but for an entire week? Yes there are outstanding amenities, views and privileges that come with a deluxe. But for me, I would be too busy making sure I get my money's worth for what I paid for my park ticket to take advantage of those amenities. I'd never feel like I'd gotten my money's worth.
Now I respect and understand the decision of those in my family who have stayed at a deluxe resort. I know you took advantage of the luxury if offered. But as far as I'm concerned, unless I win the lottery or come into some other windfall, I will NEVER pay for a deluxe resort. It's a waste of money. Rant over, now back to discussing the cost of a Disney World Vacation.
Special events and privileges have also been swept up into the Disney income stream. There is more and more what's called "hard ticket" events including the Halloween and Christmas parties and early morning or late night access to the parks.
While these aren't experiences you have to be a part of to enjoy the Disney World, they entice the guest with exclusive experiences (especially when it comes to access to characters) or the ability to avoid crowds or waiting in lines for attractions. Apparently you have to pay to feel special instead expecting it to be part of the guest experience.
There's also indications and rumors swirling around the Disney Theme park fan community that the days of free Fast Passes (the ability to enjoy attractions without waiting in long lines) are numbered.
I don't think that they will ever become something that will only be an add on expense. But I do think that access to them will become very limited unless you want to pay for the privilege.
Also the complexity and amount of planning required to ensure you get "your money's worth" during your visit continues to increase as time goes on.
The main reasons for having to plan are two sides of the same coin. Aiming to enjoy as many park experiences as possible while avoiding or managing your way through the constant crowds.
There used to be a "slow" season at WDW at various times during the calendar year. But Disney's lust for creating things that feed into the constant demand for revenue has almost made those times a thing of the past. Crowds are constantly at a moderate to high level all year long. While that's only good business, it can diminish your enjoyment of the time in the parks. Navigating through them in can be very stressful.
The process of setting up your trip on the "My Disney Experience" app can be extremely time consuming and confusing.
Navigating and working the afore mentioned Fast Pass Plus system on the app in order to get the FPs to the most popular attractions can be mind numbing and very frustrating. There are endless tips and tricks you have to learn about to maximize your Fast Pass privileges.
There is an entire industry devoted to helping Disney World visitors plan their trips. Specialized travel agents, touring plan websites, trip planning podcasts and online videos are plenty. These ease the planning woes but don't totally eliminate the stress.
When my family and I have discussed potential plans for going back to Disney World, a few of them mention that they would like the next trip to be more leisurely and less regimented. They want to take their time and not have to keep a schedule or rush from here to there.
Unfortunately, if this is what you want on vacation, Disney World is no longer the place to go. If you aren't diligent and focused on what you want to do you will be consumed by crowds. You don't want to answer the question, "What did you do when you were at Disney World" with "we waited in line."
Now I must say in Disney's defense, that I do believe that they are making an effort to make the Disney World vacation experience better for their guests.
The Disney theme park development teams are constantly creating new foods, experiences, attractions and making improvements throughout the entire resort (Disney Springs has been almost totally reinvented over the last few years) to make people want to come to WDW. But I believe they are caught up in a vicious loop where they have become addicted to revenue. The focus has become mostly about bringing in the $$$ and not on the guest experience as it has been in the past.
There are also personal factors that have changed my views on a Walt Disney World vacation.These are things that have more to do with me than anything to do with the resort.
As I get older, the amount of walking and physical effort a day in the parks requires is becoming prohibitive. I just can't exhaust myself on a daily basis for a week and enjoy myself. Vacation supposed to be a time to rest, relax, and recharge. But for reasons already stated, Disney World isn't the place for that.
Because of the cost and expense I've already mentioned the only means of getting to Florida that is economically feasible is driving. The price of airfares and limited ability to take along things necessary to spend a week somewhere takes flying out of the equation.
But driving 13 hours and almost 800 miles in one day has become increasingly unpleasant. Unless I want to arrive already tired and grumpy without much opportunity to recover because of the intensity of a Disney vacation, any future drives to Orlando will have to be over two days.This tacks an extra day onto each end of our vacation. This means either turning what once was a 7 day vacation into 9 days or spending less time on vacation and more traveling.
While this may be a bit redundant, as my wife and I get closer and closer to retirement, it has become more and more important to get the most out of our vacation budget. Disney has made the cost of a stay at their Florida resort far above what we want to spend on a vacation.
But having said all this there is no denying that all that is Disney, its movies, TV shows, and characters are part of the fabric of the American lifestyle. If you have younger children or grand children, there's no avoiding it. Walt Disney World is a place where the wonderful world of Disney becomes tangible. It can be experienced and enhanced. Seeing a little one you care about meet their favorite Disney character is almost priceless. A visit to WDW is saturated with the potential for making outstanding life long memories with your family. That it is an almost overwhelming compelling draw despite all the negative things I've just written about.
Does the things I've just gone through mean I have already decided that I will never return to Walt Disney World? Do I plan on leaving my Disney fandom anytime soon? Just one look into my closet and seeing my more than 3 dozen Disney themed t-shirts (most of them with Goofy on them) will tell you the answer to that is a strong "No".
I feel as though there is at least one more Walt Disney World trip left to take. I want to go so I can make memories with both my grand children.
I also have the dream of one day visiting Disneyland park as well. I'm not saying there won't be more than one more trip. But as I look toward the future. I can see a day when know for sure, I've taken my last trip to Walt Disney World. As much as I am drawn to it (at times obsessed), I'm surprised that I've written those words. But I've got to face the facts. It's just gotten too expensive for us.
What do you think? Are you a Disney Park fan like me? Do you think a trip to Disney World is close to being too expensive for you? If you are not a Disney fan, do you have any desire to go, just once? Please write your comments on Facebook page. I'd love to know what you think.
Thanks for letting me make my case and rant on and on. That's the blog posts for this week. We'll see you in the month of July.
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