Disney primarily for the wealthy? NYT Article

[Anonymous]

It doesn’t seem well off to me. The 2 times I have taken my son it was full of fat unhealthy looking, tattoos all over their bodies, dated skinny jeans, everyone looking like they lie to collect disability and ssi. We took our money and book Disney cruises instead or even better Brazil.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I costed out a trip for the six of us to go to Orlando for a week. It was ridiculous! Instead we went to Ireland for 10 days, stayed in really nice places and we had the best time for much less money.

So a week for me in Orlando costs about $1K for hotel, $400 for car, $200pp for flight, $300 for parking, $50 for petrol. Food and booze is incrementally higher, partially offset by not eating at home, so let's say $1K for food and snacks. You don't have to spend on that if you don't want. Tickets will be $700 or so per person.

For a family of four that is $3K for tickets and $800 for flights. Let's add $500 for incidentals. The total is about $7K for the week. I'm neither splurging nor skimping here. So, you took your family to Ireland for 10 days for "much less money?" How? Show me the math.

RT tickets to Ireland let's say they are $500 on a good deal. So that is $2K to start.

For 4 people you are paying under $150 per night for a hotel? Which hotel is this?

Orlando has at least 100 hotels for that price. Cheapest hotels around.

+1. This.

If you don't go at super-high season dates (ex: Christmas/NY), Orlando hotel prices are very reasonable. We were there in August (which isn't super popular because it's hella hot, but still vacation season) and paid 95$/night for a 1BR suite at a Marriott hotel 20 minutes from the Disney parks that included breakfast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It doesn’t seem well off to me. The 2 times I have taken my son it was full of fat unhealthy looking, tattoos all over their bodies, dated skinny jeans, everyone looking like they lie to collect disability and ssi. We took our money and book Disney cruises instead or even better Brazil.

Who is wearing skinny jeans at Disney? Or any jeans?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I costed out a trip for the six of us to go to Orlando for a week. It was ridiculous! Instead we went to Ireland for 10 days, stayed in really nice places and we had the best time for much less money.

So a week for me in Orlando costs about $1K for hotel, $400 for car, $200pp for flight, $300 for parking, $50 for petrol. Food and booze is incrementally higher, partially offset by not eating at home, so let's say $1K for food and snacks. You don't have to spend on that if you don't want. Tickets will be $700 or so per person.

For a family of four that is $3K for tickets and $800 for flights. Let's add $500 for incidentals. The total is about $7K for the week. I'm neither splurging nor skimping here. So, you took your family to Ireland for 10 days for "much less money?" How? Show me the math.

RT tickets to Ireland let's say they are $500 on a good deal. So that is $2K to start.

For 4 people you are paying under $150 per night for a hotel? Which hotel is this?

Orlando has at least 100 hotels for that price. Cheapest hotels around.

+1. This.

If you don't go at super-high season dates (ex: Christmas/NY), Orlando hotel prices are very reasonable. We were there in August (which isn't super popular because it's hella hot, but still vacation season) and paid 95$/night for a 1BR suite at a Marriott hotel 20 minutes from the Disney parks that included breakfast.

Yes- Orlando has sooo many hotels/lodging options and the high supply drives down prices. Mid-range 3.5 places, like a DoubleTree or Sheraton are usually in the $100-150 range, often under $100 if you find a good deal or are going at unpopular times middle of the week in late August. Even the ones right in Lake Buena Vista right near Disney.

I (kind of) get why people stay on property but the benefits aren't what they used to be and the hotels are so freakin' expensive. We paid $160/night for a great, spacious condo/villa at Sheraton Vistana -- separate bedrooms and bathrooms for kids and parents! -- and I'd so much rather do that than pay $500/night for a glorified Holiday Inn Express on property.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I costed out a trip for the six of us to go to Orlando for a week. It was ridiculous! Instead we went to Ireland for 10 days, stayed in really nice places and we had the best time for much less money.

So a week for me in Orlando costs about $1K for hotel, $400 for car, $200pp for flight, $300 for parking, $50 for petrol. Food and booze is incrementally higher, partially offset by not eating at home, so let's say $1K for food and snacks. You don't have to spend on that if you don't want. Tickets will be $700 or so per person.

For a family of four that is $3K for tickets and $800 for flights. Let's add $500 for incidentals. The total is about $7K for the week. I'm neither splurging nor skimping here. So, you took your family to Ireland for 10 days for "much less money?" How? Show me the math.

RT tickets to Ireland let's say they are $500 on a good deal. So that is $2K to start.

For 4 people you are paying under $150 per night for a hotel? Which hotel is this?

So many hotels. Yes, they are mid range, but I just never spend much time in the hotels in Orlando. I'm always out doing things. I love resort hotels but I just don't care in Orlando because that's not why I'm there.

I stayed recently at Wilderness Lodge for $300 a night to try it out, and although it is an incredibly beautiful property, it just wasn't worth it, even at that price. I mean, compared to a RC or FS, the service and care at Disney hotels just isn't even close.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It doesn’t seem well off to me. The 2 times I have taken my son it was full of fat unhealthy looking, tattoos all over their bodies, dated skinny jeans, everyone looking like they lie to collect disability and ssi. We took our money and book Disney cruises instead or even better Brazil.

Wow. I bet you're fun at parties. "Dated skinny jeans"?

[Anonymous]

Without pics I don't believe loads of people put their skinny jeans on to walk 10 miles around a 90 degree park with 75% humidity

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I costed out a trip for the six of us to go to Orlando for a week. It was ridiculous! Instead we went to Ireland for 10 days, stayed in really nice places and we had the best time for much less money.

So a week for me in Orlando costs about $1K for hotel, $400 for car, $200pp for flight, $300 for parking, $50 for petrol. Food and booze is incrementally higher, partially offset by not eating at home, so let's say $1K for food and snacks. You don't have to spend on that if you don't want. Tickets will be $700 or so per person.

For a family of four that is $3K for tickets and $800 for flights. Let's add $500 for incidentals. The total is about $7K for the week. I'm neither splurging nor skimping here. So, you took your family to Ireland for 10 days for "much less money?" How? Show me the math.

RT tickets to Ireland let's say they are $500 on a good deal. So that is $2K to start.

For 4 people you are paying under $150 per night for a hotel? Which hotel is this?

Orlando has at least 100 hotels for that price. Cheapest hotels around.

+1. This.

If you don't go at super-high season dates (ex: Christmas/NY), Orlando hotel prices are very reasonable. We were there in August (which isn't super popular because it's hella hot, but still vacation season) and paid 95$/night for a 1BR suite at a Marriott hotel 20 minutes from the Disney parks that included breakfast.

Yes- Orlando has sooo many hotels/lodging options and the high supply drives down prices. Mid-range 3.5 places, like a DoubleTree or Sheraton are usually in the $100-150 range, often under $100 if you find a good deal or are going at unpopular times middle of the week in late August. Even the ones right in Lake Buena Vista right near Disney.

I (kind of) get why people stay on property but the benefits aren't what they used to be and the hotels are so freakin' expensive. We paid $160/night for a great, spacious condo/villa at Sheraton Vistana -- separate bedrooms and bathrooms for kids and parents! -- and I'd so much rather do that than pay $500/night for a glorified Holiday Inn Express on property.

I really appreciate this post for being news you can use -- specific hotels and prices and locations and times of year. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of poor people go to Disney. They put it on a credit card and just add to their debt. I knew one family that was on food stamps and welfare and still went to Disney every year without fail. So yes, it’s a vacation for the well off if they don’t go into debt to go-but plenty of people go and just pay for it forever.

Disney is depressing on so many levels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of poor people go to Disney. They put it on a credit card and just add to their debt. I knew one family that was on food stamps and welfare and still went to Disney every year without fail. So yes, it’s a vacation for the well off if they don’t go into debt to go-but plenty of people go and just pay for it forever.

Disney is depressing on so many levels.

But for the hours people are there they can forget about all their problems and feel like kids again. That's why they keep going back. And Disney makes it easy because with the swipe of a MagicBand you don't have to worry (for the moment) about what you're spending. People will pay anything to just forget about it all and immerse themselves in the world of Disney. That's why it's not so surprising that a lot of the Disney adults have traumatic pasts and difficult life stories. Disney is escapism. But at some point the spell might be broken if it just isn't affordable to the masses and they stop going. Judging by the crowds, we're not there yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn’t seem well off to me. The 2 times I have taken my son it was full of fat unhealthy looking, tattoos all over their bodies, dated skinny jeans, everyone looking like they lie to collect disability and ssi. We took our money and book Disney cruises instead or even better Brazil.

Wow. I bet you're fun at parties. "Dated skinny jeans"?

Yeah the UMC never fail to amaze me in their elite purity tests like calm down it’s Disney what did you expect?? You go to make your kids happy, not see a runway fashion show.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I costed out a trip for the six of us to go to Orlando for a week. It was ridiculous! Instead we went to Ireland for 10 days, stayed in really nice places and we had the best time for much less money.

So a week for me in Orlando costs about $1K for hotel, $400 for car, $200pp for flight, $300 for parking, $50 for petrol. Food and booze is incrementally higher, partially offset by not eating at home, so let's say $1K for food and snacks. You don't have to spend on that if you don't want. Tickets will be $700 or so per person.

For a family of four that is $3K for tickets and $800 for flights. Let's add $500 for incidentals. The total is about $7K for the week. I'm neither splurging nor skimping here. So, you took your family to Ireland for 10 days for "much less money?" How? Show me the math.

RT tickets to Ireland let's say they are $500 on a good deal. So that is $2K to start.

For 4 people you are paying under $150 per night for a hotel? Which hotel is this?

So many hotels. Yes, they are mid range, but I just never spend much time in the hotels in Orlando. I'm always out doing things. I love resort hotels but I just don't care in Orlando because that's not why I'm there.

I stayed recently at Wilderness Lodge for $300 a night to try it out, and although it is an incredibly beautiful property, it just wasn't worth it, even at that price. I mean, compared to a RC or FS, the service and care at Disney hotels just isn't even close.

I get that but for me the advantage of not having to drive onto disney property and being able to book early fast pass is worth the extra money. But we usually go for short trips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I costed out a trip for the six of us to go to Orlando for a week. It was ridiculous! Instead we went to Ireland for 10 days, stayed in really nice places and we had the best time for much less money.

So a week for me in Orlando costs about $1K for hotel, $400 for car, $200pp for flight, $300 for parking, $50 for petrol. Food and booze is incrementally higher, partially offset by not eating at home, so let's say $1K for food and snacks. You don't have to spend on that if you don't want. Tickets will be $700 or so per person.

For a family of four that is $3K for tickets and $800 for flights. Let's add $500 for incidentals. The total is about $7K for the week. I'm neither splurging nor skimping here. So, you took your family to Ireland for 10 days for "much less money?" How? Show me the math.

RT tickets to Ireland let's say they are $500 on a good deal. So that is $2K to start.

For 4 people you are paying under $150 per night for a hotel? Which hotel is this?

Orlando has at least 100 hotels for that price. Cheapest hotels around.

And airbnbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I costed out a trip for the six of us to go to Orlando for a week. It was ridiculous! Instead we went to Ireland for 10 days, stayed in really nice places and we had the best time for much less money.

So a week for me in Orlando costs about $1K for hotel, $400 for car, $200pp for flight, $300 for parking, $50 for petrol. Food and booze is incrementally higher, partially offset by not eating at home, so let's say $1K for food and snacks. You don't have to spend on that if you don't want. Tickets will be $700 or so per person.

For a family of four that is $3K for tickets and $800 for flights. Let's add $500 for incidentals. The total is about $7K for the week. I'm neither splurging nor skimping here. So, you took your family to Ireland for 10 days for "much less money?" How? Show me the math.

RT tickets to Ireland let's say they are $500 on a good deal. So that is $2K to start.

For 4 people you are paying under $150 per night for a hotel? Which hotel is this?

Orlando has at least 100 hotels for that price. Cheapest hotels around.

+1. This.

If you don't go at super-high season dates (ex: Christmas/NY), Orlando hotel prices are very reasonable. We were there in August (which isn't super popular because it's hella hot, but still vacation season) and paid 95$/night for a 1BR suite at a Marriott hotel 20 minutes from the Disney parks that included breakfast.

Yes- Orlando has sooo many hotels/lodging options and the high supply drives down prices. Mid-range 3.5 places, like a DoubleTree or Sheraton are usually in the $100-150 range, often under $100 if you find a good deal or are going at unpopular times middle of the week in late August. Even the ones right in Lake Buena Vista right near Disney.

I (kind of) get why people stay on property but the benefits aren't what they used to be and the hotels are so freakin' expensive. We paid $160/night for a great, spacious condo/villa at Sheraton Vistana -- separate bedrooms and bathrooms for kids and parents! -- and I'd so much rather do that than pay $500/night for a glorified Holiday Inn Express on property.

For me being able to walk to the park makes it worth it to save up my Marriot points every year and do the Swan. car fee transport and early entry/late night extra hours is really the reason to stay on property. Otherwise yeah many other options!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I costed out a trip for the six of us to go to Orlando for a week. It was ridiculous! Instead we went to Ireland for 10 days, stayed in really nice places and we had the best time for much less money.

So a week for me in Orlando costs about $1K for hotel, $400 for car, $200pp for flight, $300 for parking, $50 for petrol. Food and booze is incrementally higher, partially offset by not eating at home, so let's say $1K for food and snacks. You don't have to spend on that if you don't want. Tickets will be $700 or so per person.

For a family of four that is $3K for tickets and $800 for flights. Let's add $500 for incidentals. The total is about $7K for the week. I'm neither splurging nor skimping here. So, you took your family to Ireland for 10 days for "much less money?" How? Show me the math.

RT tickets to Ireland let's say they are $500 on a good deal. So that is $2K to start.

For 4 people you are paying under $150 per night for a hotel? Which hotel is this?

So many hotels. Yes, they are mid range, but I just never spend much time in the hotels in Orlando. I'm always out doing things. I love resort hotels but I just don't care in Orlando because that's not why I'm there.

I stayed recently at Wilderness Lodge for $300 a night to try it out, and although it is an incredibly beautiful property, it just wasn't worth it, even at that price. I mean, compared to a RC or FS, the service and care at Disney hotels just isn't even close.

I get that but for me the advantage of not having to drive onto disney property and being able to book early fast pass is worth the extra money. But we usually go for short trips.

+1 for the short trips. At the risk of getting jeers here - some day I would like to take a more relaxed 7-10 day trip and stay in one of the cheaper hotels and very leisurely dip in and out of the parks with less time pressure. I’m a big pool person so being able to just go to the pool every day then go to Disney every day sounds perfect