Disney primarily for the wealthy? NYT Article

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you fly, it makes sense to stay on park property so you can use the buses.

We've stayed at the Disney motel often for $175 or so (ie All Stars) and it's fine. It's definitely dated, but it's still very clean. We like the buses and the early park entrance.

We go middle of the week in the off season and it's wall to wall people. The line times are just out of control. Even when I run the app perfectly, line up everything perfectly, wake up at 7am and book it all, it's still long lines for everyone else. Everyone else has less stress though, but for me as the planner it's a lot.

We have a toddler who can't ride and so we do rider switch, which is also a circle of hell. DH and the older kids wait in line for an hour and then when they get off, I get to go through the lightning lane, which still has a 15-20 min wait. It really drags out the day and makes it unenjoyable. Universal has it perfect. We all wait together, then the baby and I step out at the front of the line into a special room. DH and the older kids get off and then I immediately board the ride. No extra waiting.

DH and I make about 400k and could afford to go yearly, but it's a miserable trip. Disney clearly doesn't care about families like ours though.

Why aren’t you using the premier pass if you make $400K? It solves everything you don’t like. Zero need to use the app or anything like that and you just walk on rides and cut every line.

We know a number of families that were “VIP tours only” previously and all but one now exclusively use Premier Pass.

Because it was $300 a person and we are a family of 5. $300x5 x 4 days= $6,000 extra due to Disney's insane lines. We're very happy with our salaries but we don't have an extra 6k to blow on an already very expensive theme park trip. The people who are spending that must come from cheaper areas of the country or make a lot more than us.

What do you consider “off season”?!

We were there December 6-12 last year. After the Thanksgiving crowds, before the Christmas crowds. Awesome weather, and of course the beautiful Christmas decorations!!

We did Lightning Lanes for Tron, RotR, Guardians, and Flight of Passage (although if we timed it better, probably didn’t need to), the “popular but not headliners” (Space Mountain, Tiana’s Bayou, Everest, Tower of Terror, Soarin’, Frozen etc) were in the 30 minute range, and everything else was 20 or under.

I don’t think the premier pass is worth it unless you are going at popular times of the year (Xmas and Thanksgiving week, spring break, etc.) or if you really truly have money to burn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you fly, it makes sense to stay on park property so you can use the buses.

We've stayed at the Disney motel often for $175 or so (ie All Stars) and it's fine. It's definitely dated, but it's still very clean. We like the buses and the early park entrance.

We go middle of the week in the off season and it's wall to wall people. The line times are just out of control. Even when I run the app perfectly, line up everything perfectly, wake up at 7am and book it all, it's still long lines for everyone else. Everyone else has less stress though, but for me as the planner it's a lot.

We have a toddler who can't ride and so we do rider switch, which is also a circle of hell. DH and the older kids wait in line for an hour and then when they get off, I get to go through the lightning lane, which still has a 15-20 min wait. It really drags out the day and makes it unenjoyable. Universal has it perfect. We all wait together, then the baby and I step out at the front of the line into a special room. DH and the older kids get off and then I immediately board the ride. No extra waiting.

DH and I make about 400k and could afford to go yearly, but it's a miserable trip. Disney clearly doesn't care about families like ours though.

Why aren’t you using the premier pass if you make $400K? It solves everything you don’t like. Zero need to use the app or anything like that and you just walk on rides and cut every line.

We know a number of families that were “VIP tours only” previously and all but one now exclusively use Premier Pass.

Because it was $300 a person and we are a family of 5. $300x5 x 4 days= $6,000 extra due to Disney's insane lines. We're very happy with our salaries but we don't have an extra 6k to blow on an already very expensive theme park trip. The people who are spending that must come from cheaper areas of the country or make a lot more than us.

Our HHI is nearly double yours and we still didn’t get a premier pass this summer. It’s not about how much you make. It’s about value for money. I’m happy to pay $35 for a LLMP or $20 for a LLSP. But $400 PER PERSON, PER DAY on top of what we’re already paying? Yeah. Sorry kiddies. You can get your booty out of bed at 6am and rope drop. We did every single big ticket ride at MK without a premier pass.

Now Epic, that’s a different story. You really do need an express pass for that park.

I feel like line waiting time is quality time with my kid. One key is that we never went until he was older (10). Seems like a totally different story with little kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you fly, it makes sense to stay on park property so you can use the buses.

We've stayed at the Disney motel often for $175 or so (ie All Stars) and it's fine. It's definitely dated, but it's still very clean. We like the buses and the early park entrance.

We go middle of the week in the off season and it's wall to wall people. The line times are just out of control. Even when I run the app perfectly, line up everything perfectly, wake up at 7am and book it all, it's still long lines for everyone else. Everyone else has less stress though, but for me as the planner it's a lot.

We have a toddler who can't ride and so we do rider switch, which is also a circle of hell. DH and the older kids wait in line for an hour and then when they get off, I get to go through the lightning lane, which still has a 15-20 min wait. It really drags out the day and makes it unenjoyable. Universal has it perfect. We all wait together, then the baby and I step out at the front of the line into a special room. DH and the older kids get off and then I immediately board the ride. No extra waiting.

DH and I make about 400k and could afford to go yearly, but it's a miserable trip. Disney clearly doesn't care about families like ours though.

Why aren’t you using the premier pass if you make $400K? It solves everything you don’t like. Zero need to use the app or anything like that and you just walk on rides and cut every line.

We know a number of families that were “VIP tours only” previously and all but one now exclusively use Premier Pass.

Because it was $300 a person and we are a family of 5. $300x5 x 4 days= $6,000 extra due to Disney's insane lines. We're very happy with our salaries but we don't have an extra 6k to blow on an already very expensive theme park trip. The people who are spending that must come from cheaper areas of the country or make a lot more than us.

Our HHI is nearly double yours and we still didn’t get a premier pass this summer. It’s not about how much you make. It’s about value for money. I’m happy to pay $35 for a LLMP or $20 for a LLSP. But $400 PER PERSON, PER DAY on top of what we’re already paying? Yeah. Sorry kiddies. You can get your booty out of bed at 6am and rope drop. We did every single big ticket ride at MK without a premier pass.

Now Epic, that’s a different story. You really do need an express pass for that park.

I feel like line waiting time is quality time with my kid. One key is that we never went until he was older (10). Seems like a totally different story with little kids.

It’s so easy to get the non thrill rides on LL and honestly the lines aren’t even that long anyway. It’s easy with little kids!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you fly, it makes sense to stay on park property so you can use the buses.

We've stayed at the Disney motel often for $175 or so (ie All Stars) and it's fine. It's definitely dated, but it's still very clean. We like the buses and the early park entrance.

We go middle of the week in the off season and it's wall to wall people. The line times are just out of control. Even when I run the app perfectly, line up everything perfectly, wake up at 7am and book it all, it's still long lines for everyone else. Everyone else has less stress though, but for me as the planner it's a lot.

We have a toddler who can't ride and so we do rider switch, which is also a circle of hell. DH and the older kids wait in line for an hour and then when they get off, I get to go through the lightning lane, which still has a 15-20 min wait. It really drags out the day and makes it unenjoyable. Universal has it perfect. We all wait together, then the baby and I step out at the front of the line into a special room. DH and the older kids get off and then I immediately board the ride. No extra waiting.

DH and I make about 400k and could afford to go yearly, but it's a miserable trip. Disney clearly doesn't care about families like ours though.

You’re not doing it perfectly if your family is waiting in line for an hour. Forget the ride switch and just take turns waiting with the toddler. Unless you’re using the ride switch to let some riders go 2x in a row then you can’t complain too much it. There aren’t that many rides that a toddler can’t go on.

+1 this all seems unnecessarily complicated. We went when our kids were 8 and 2 1/2 and for the handful of rides the toddler couldn’t ride we just switched off having one parent ride with the older and one waiting (and doing something else) with the toddler. Easy peasy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now it's primarily for MAGA idiots.
No vaccine requirements in the state should go quite well at super spreader Disney/Universal events

You do know that COVID vaccines don’t prevent spread right? They just lessen the severity?

I get a new Covid vaccine every fall (well, we will see if they let me this year) but I still have gotten Covid a few times.

You know they just announced that no school age child in Florida will be required to present vaccinations. I don't want to be in the midst of a polio/measles/mumps epidemic while trying to ride Space Mountain. FAFO Florida.

Why do you care if you have your own immunizations? Anyway, all of the foreigners there are already potentially unvaccinated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now it's primarily for MAGA idiots.
No vaccine requirements in the state should go quite well at super spreader Disney/Universal events

You do know that COVID vaccines don’t prevent spread right? They just lessen the severity?

I get a new Covid vaccine every fall (well, we will see if they let me this year) but I still have gotten Covid a few times.

You know they just announced that no school age child in Florida will be required to present vaccinations. I don't want to be in the midst of a polio/measles/mumps epidemic while trying to ride Space Mountain. FAFO Florida.

Why do you care if you have your own immunizations? Anyway, all of the foreigners there are already potentially unvaccinated.

I think there’s an equal amount of unvaccinated people visiting or residing in DC (if not more)

[Anonymous]

Stephen Colbert Sounds the Alarm on ‘Death by Florida’
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/arts/television/stephen-colbert-florida-vaccines.html
Florida’s surgeon general announced yesterday that the state would no longer require vaccines for schoolchildren.

“Right now, Florida mandates that students have to be vaxxed against polio, diphtheria, measles, rubella, pertussis, mumps and tetanus — also known as diseases that should only come up in ‘Oregon Trail,’”

He said that Florida’s decision to stop vaccine mandates would affect not just schoolchildren but also “America’s most vulnerable population: Disney adults.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get it. Disney is expensive, but at the same time, it has a low/middlebrow image and appeal. I can’t really see any truly wealthy/upper class families considering it a desirable vacation beyond maybe doing it just once.

Well, they do. Shocking as that may be to you. They have no problem dropping $12,000 for a guided tour for the day. Lots of them. And that doesn't even include the entry tickets.

I've never heard of the guided tour? What exactly does that entail?

Disney employee walks around with you and you get to go to the front of the lines of all the rides. They help plan out the things you are interested in and walk you the most direct path, etc. It’s a 7 hour minimum and starts at $900/hour and goes up from there based on date. Up to 10 people can be in your group. Tickets and food are not included.

Thank you! I've never heard of that. That's wild

I remember seeing these guides in the 70s. They wore blue plaid skirts, knee socks, vests and a rounded hat. They looked like Mary Poppins, leading groups right to the front of every line.

[Anonymous]

If anyone is interested in a side topic, there was a 2017 movie called The Florida Project, about struggling single mothers trying to keep their kids fed, who live in motels just outside the gates of Disney World.

It's told from the kid's point of view and the inexperienced child actors were excellent.

It ends with the kids running towards Cinderella's Castle. Maybe.

It is the kind of movie that stays with you and you find yourself thinking about it years later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you fly, it makes sense to stay on park property so you can use the buses.

We've stayed at the Disney motel often for $175 or so (ie All Stars) and it's fine. It's definitely dated, but it's still very clean. We like the buses and the early park entrance.

We go middle of the week in the off season and it's wall to wall people. The line times are just out of control. Even when I run the app perfectly, line up everything perfectly, wake up at 7am and book it all, it's still long lines for everyone else. Everyone else has less stress though, but for me as the planner it's a lot.

We have a toddler who can't ride and so we do rider switch, which is also a circle of hell. DH and the older kids wait in line for an hour and then when they get off, I get to go through the lightning lane, which still has a 15-20 min wait. It really drags out the day and makes it unenjoyable. Universal has it perfect. We all wait together, then the baby and I step out at the front of the line into a special room. DH and the older kids get off and then I immediately board the ride. No extra waiting.

DH and I make about 400k and could afford to go yearly, but it's a miserable trip. Disney clearly doesn't care about families like ours though.

Why aren’t you using the premier pass if you make $400K? It solves everything you don’t like. Zero need to use the app or anything like that and you just walk on rides and cut every line.

We know a number of families that were “VIP tours only” previously and all but one now exclusively use Premier Pass.

Because it was $300 a person and we are a family of 5. $300x5 x 4 days= $6,000 extra due to Disney's insane lines. We're very happy with our salaries but we don't have an extra 6k to blow on an already very expensive theme park trip. The people who are spending that must come from cheaper areas of the country or make a lot more than us.

What do you consider “off season”?!

We were there December 6-12 last year. After the Thanksgiving crowds, before the Christmas crowds. Awesome weather, and of course the beautiful Christmas decorations!!

We did Lightning Lanes for Tron, RotR, Guardians, and Flight of Passage (although if we timed it better, probably didn’t need to), the “popular but not headliners” (Space Mountain, Tiana’s Bayou, Everest, Tower of Terror, Soarin’, Frozen etc) were in the 30 minute range, and everything else was 20 or under.

I don’t think the premier pass is worth it unless you are going at popular times of the year (Xmas and Thanksgiving week, spring break, etc.) or if you really truly have money to burn.

We went November last year. After Halloween, and before Christmas started. This year we went middle of February, not near the federal holiday. We always go Monday-Thursday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stephen Colbert Sounds the Alarm on ‘Death by Florida’
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/arts/television/stephen-colbert-florida-vaccines.html
Florida’s surgeon general announced yesterday that the state would no longer require vaccines for schoolchildren.

“Right now, Florida mandates that students have to be vaxxed against polio, diphtheria, measles, rubella, pertussis, mumps and tetanus — also known as diseases that should only come up in ‘Oregon Trail,’”

He said that Florida’s decision to stop vaccine mandates would affect not just schoolchildren but also “America’s most vulnerable population: Disney adults.”

It's safer to stay in your house. Good luck.

Any wonder why nobody cares about Stephen Colbert?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stephen Colbert Sounds the Alarm on ‘Death by Florida’
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/arts/television/stephen-colbert-florida-vaccines.html
Florida’s surgeon general announced yesterday that the state would no longer require vaccines for schoolchildren.

“Right now, Florida mandates that students have to be vaxxed against polio, diphtheria, measles, rubella, pertussis, mumps and tetanus — also known as diseases that should only come up in ‘Oregon Trail,’”

He said that Florida’s decision to stop vaccine mandates would affect not just schoolchildren but also “America’s most vulnerable population: Disney adults.”

It's safer to stay in your house. Good luck.

Any wonder why nobody cares about Stephen Colbert?

Millions of people watch him on TV/online streaming. But I guess "nobody" cares about him the way "nobody" gets COVID.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stephen Colbert Sounds the Alarm on ‘Death by Florida’
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/arts/television/stephen-colbert-florida-vaccines.html
Florida’s surgeon general announced yesterday that the state would no longer require vaccines for schoolchildren.

“Right now, Florida mandates that students have to be vaxxed against polio, diphtheria, measles, rubella, pertussis, mumps and tetanus — also known as diseases that should only come up in ‘Oregon Trail,’”

He said that Florida’s decision to stop vaccine mandates would affect not just schoolchildren but also “America’s most vulnerable population: Disney adults.”

It's safer to stay in your house. Good luck.

Any wonder why nobody cares about Stephen Colbert?

Millions of people watch him on TV/online streaming. But I guess "nobody" cares about him the way "nobody" gets COVID.

Are you still obsessing over COVID? Nosophobia?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If anyone is interested in a side topic, there was a 2017 movie called The Florida Project, about struggling single mothers trying to keep their kids fed, who live in motels just outside the gates of Disney World.

It's told from the kid's point of view and the inexperienced child actors were excellent.

It ends with the kids running towards Cinderella's Castle. Maybe.

It is the kind of movie that stays with you and you find yourself thinking about it years later.

This really was an excellent movie. Thanks for the heads up.

The weird part for me is that it reminded me of my 80s childhood in some ways. Packs of kids playing in abandoned buildings / buildings under construction. Roaming and having meals at the house of whoever's mom would feed us.

It does make me want to learn more about the Orlando subculture the movie was based on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now it's primarily for MAGA idiots.
No vaccine requirements in the state should go quite well at super spreader Disney/Universal events

You do know that COVID vaccines don’t prevent spread right? They just lessen the severity?

I get a new Covid vaccine every fall (well, we will see if they let me this year) but I still have gotten Covid a few times.

You know they just announced that no school age child in Florida will be required to present vaccinations. I don't want to be in the midst of a polio/measles/mumps epidemic while trying to ride Space Mountain. FAFO Florida.

Why do you care if you have your own immunizations? Anyway, all of the foreigners there are already potentially unvaccinated.

Although most Americans take the “I got mine” approach to life, public health is a social effort. Not everyone can get vaccinated, immunity can wane (see whooping cough), and you might not know it didn’t take for you unless you specially ordered titers. Vaccines work best when the herd is protected.

And you are right - international visitors are coming in with active measles and other diseases. To date, the wall that is herd immunity limited the spread. Toss in a bunch of unvaccinated locals, a bunch of immune weakened old folks, and you have the makings of a catastrophe. Remember how well the hospitals managed the peak of COVID? That will look quaint. Peds are already talking about how they are going to have to brush up on once-routine procedures that have been rendered virtually unnecessary due to vaccines.