Disney Too Expensive?

[IzzyB]

This is what I always come back to when people complain about the value of a Disney trip compared to Universal. I’d actually argue that service (in terms of friendliness and recovery, at least) are making huge strides at Universal, but that “nickel and dime” feeling hasn’t gone away yet. I don’t want to be barraged with Express Pass advertisements after paying to get into the park. I don’t like trying to look at a digital menu and getting interrupted by an animated Coke ad. And I REALLY hate being harassed by timeshare salesmen when trying to just enjoy a day I already paid for. Add stuff like the first-time parking charge or random little maintenance issues outside of the rides (when’s the last time every parking garage escalator/moving walkway was working, for example?) and I really don’t understand how anyone can definitively say Universal is a better value. If all you’re interested in are rides (of which, maybe only two have really hit in the last 9 years) then totally, but at least the Disney parks respect you and your wallet after you’ve paid to get in.

Express always annoyed me, I hated the you have to pay extra to ride stuff with less lines. But clearly every park with Disney being the last hold out moved that way eventually. Just Uni was one of the first and they started the dumb trend.

 

[UNIrd]

Just to clarify: This was at a snack cart? I was under the impression they don’t have running (drinking water) or disposable cups at those locations.

Edelweiss Snacks in Disneyland. They sold fountain drinks including lemonade/tea so usually those places also have the ability to give water but we were told they're "not allowed."

 

[Jake S]

Edelweiss Snacks in Disneyland. They sold fountain drinks including lemonade/tea so usually those places also have the ability to give water but we were told they're "not allowed."

Copy that! That's very strange — I used to work in this location and had never heard that.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

This is what I always come back to when people complain about the value of a Disney trip compared to Universal. I’d actually argue that service (in terms of friendliness and recovery, at least) are making huge strides at Universal, but that “nickel and dime” feeling hasn’t gone away yet. I don’t want to be barraged with Express Pass advertisements after paying to get into the park. I don’t like trying to look at a digital menu and getting interrupted by an animated Coke ad. And I REALLY hate being harassed by timeshare salesmen when trying to just enjoy a day I already paid for.

Those timeshare salesmen for Westgate need to be removed sooner rather than later. They can be real sticklers at times, and lots of guests assume they are Universal employees, so they always go up to them for questions regarding the park only to then find themselves getting pitched on a timeshare unit and not having an answer to their question. Those are things they've kept from the pre-Potter days when they needed all the extra revenue they could generate. DVCs at WDW are an ugly site, but they're not shouting at you to visit.

 

[Mad Dog]

The WDW discounts just keep on coming.....Large AP hotel discounts for periods in Oct., Nov. Dec,
Very significant Florida resident hotel discounts at selected hotels Nov. 16-29 and Dec. 12-25
$129 All Star Sports
$199 Port Orleans Riverside
$299 Lions King Suite AA
$319 Saratoga Deluxe Studios
$429 Savannah View AK Lodge
$449 Boardwalk
The softness must be continuing....

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

The WDW discounts just keep on coming.....Large AP hotel discounts for periods in Oct., Nov. Dec,
Very significant Florida resident hotel discounts at selected hotels Nov. 16-29 and Dec. 12-25
$129 All Star Sports
$199 Port Orleans Riverside
$299 Lions King Suite AA
$319 Saratoga Deluxe Studios
$429 Savannah View AK Lodge
$449 Boardwalk
The softness must be continuing....

The Disney Springs deluxes are below $300 most weeknights around Labor Day, and Wilderness Lodge/Animal Kingdom Lodge are a hair over that. It’s very tempting…

 

[Jerroddragon]

This seems like a win for consumers

 

[AvoidTIMtation]

Those prices make me wish i was a Florida resident

 

[Mad Dog]

Those prices make me wish i was a Florida resident

I can never understand the logic on Fl. discounts better than anything offered to out of state...Heck, the out of state tourists generally come in for fairly long vacations and spend tons of money. Why discriminate. Give them both the 'great deal'.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I can never understand the logic on Fl. discounts better than anything offered to out of state...Heck, the out of state tourists generally come in for fairly long vacations and spend tons of money. Why discriminate. Give them both the 'great deal'.

I think the general idea is that FL residents are more readily available at short term notice (when they decide on running these discounts) versus out of state visitors that need to plan travel arrangements.

 

[Mad Dog]

I think the general idea is that FL residents are more readily available at short term notice (when they decide on running these discounts) versus out of state visitors that need to plan travel arrangements.

I hear what you're saying, but the discounts, like these, are usually still in that trip planning time frame.....and....after the Florida resident announcement, WDW announced other discounts for everyone for that same time period....but they weren't as good as the Florida resident offers.