Still the happiest place on earth ... not in my experience.

[bizaro86]

And we will complete the circle for the second time. You are paying for one day of entertainment. Yes with 1972 technology the pandora ride would have to cost 200 dollars to ride, but I believe a top of the line entertainment day in 1972 is equivalent to a top of the line entertainment day today. If you want to insist that everything in the basket they use for inflation has to have been exactly the same in 1972 there is almost nothing there. We do measure inflation and a lot of things in our world use that number for very real decisions. I will use an example that does not fit your premise. Movies cost a lot more to make today than in the past. Movie tickets have risen much less than the cost to make these movies. In 2018 avengers cost 410 million to film. In 1972 the Godfather was the most expensive film costing 6 million. That is 68 fold. Ticket prices went from 1.76 to 8.97. Those are averages from a trade group and seem low on both years but are averages. Here we have costs to produce the entertainment going up 68 fold while the tickets for consumers went up only 5.

Movies fit the premise. A movie from 1972 is much more similar to a current movie than Disney now is to Disney 1972.

The relative deflation in ticket prices comes from a few sources. Distribution costs are way cheaper (they used to physically print movies on film and deliver them). The worldwide box office is more significant and doesn't add any costs. (Not many people in China bought tickets to the Godfather, but lots did for Avengers).

Also, the major things that are different/better (3d, for example) are often separate up charges. By splitting out the improvements you pay for them separately.

Disney does the opposite, providing a largely inclusive entertainment experience. One that is much better now than when they started, and is thus more valuable. This would be easier to see if they still used the A-E ticket system, as the original E ticket rides would have all been downgraded, offsetting some of the inflation in ticket prices.

As to whether Disney is a day of entertainment now and then, I think what you're missing is the quality is different.

I can buy seats for the orchestra at my local university for about $5-10. Our local downtown symphony is about $50-$100. By description, they are exactly the same thing (listen to one symphony) but the quality is different so the price for one is higher. The higher cost one sells more tickets (I go to both). Disney is the same comparison but at different times. Disney 1972 was a day at an amusement park. Disney 2019 is a day at a way better amusement park. For basically everything better=more expensive....

 

[bluehende]

Movies fit the premise. A movie from 1972 is much more similar to a current movie than Disney now is to Disney 1972.

The relative deflation in ticket prices comes from a few sources. Distribution costs are way cheaper (they used to physically print movies on film and deliver them). The worldwide box office is more significant and doesn't add any costs. (Not many people in China bought tickets to the Godfather, but lots did for Avengers).

Also, the major things that are different/better (3d, for example) are often separate up charges. By splitting out the improvements you pay for them separately.

Disney does the opposite, providing a largely inclusive entertainment experience. One that is much better now than when they started, and is thus more valuable. This would be easier to see if they still used the A-E ticket system, as the original E ticket rides would have all been downgraded, offsetting some of the inflation in ticket prices.

As to whether Disney is a day of entertainment now and then, I think what you're missing is the quality is different.

I can buy seats for the orchestra at my local university for about $5-10. Our local downtown symphony is about $50-$100. By description, they are exactly the same thing (listen to one symphony) but the quality is different so the price for one is higher. The higher cost one sells more tickets (I go to both). Disney is the same comparison but at different times. Disney 1972 was a day at an amusement park. Disney 2019 is a day at a way better amusement park. For basically everything better=more expensive....

I disagree whole heartedly that the quality is that much better. Most of the original rides exist and are still the major attractions at the magic kingdom. My favorite trips were in the late 70's early 80's and feel that the new rides have no where near the charm of the original rides. Today's disney is get in a car or on something and watch a movie. I still go on the same number of rides per day as I used to and I do not feel that is an improvement. I actually feel the quality of the attractions has actually gone down hill. The atmosphere in the park has deteriorated considerably. The crowding in of people has led to very stressed people and many more ugly scenes. The drink around the world at epcot has turned that area into a nightclub a lot of the time.

I think we will agree to disagree. I still will go to disney but the price increases have lowered the value I get for my dollar and I go much less often. It is up to each individual and their own financial situation to decide whether that value/cost ratio is worth it. You will not convince me that todays value is any where near the value I got 25 yrs ago or that the park experience is better.

As for additional charges....get real.... All the party's that need an extra ticket. All the meet and greets. Extra hours that demand an expensive stay on site, and park hopper options.

 

[DrQ]

I disagree whole heartedly that the quality is that much better. Most of the original rides exist and are still the major attractions at the magic kingdom. My favorite trips were in the late 70's early 80's and feel that the new rides have no where near the charm of the original rides. Today's disney is get in a car or on something and watch a movie. I still go on the same number of rides per day as I used to and I do not feel that is an improvement. I actually feel the quality of the attractions has actually gone down hill. The atmosphere in the park has deteriorated considerably. The crowding in of people has led to very stressed people and many more ugly scenes. The drink around the world at epcot has turned that area into a nightclub a lot of the time.

Call it nostalgia but I loved the level of illusion that went into this long dead attraction:

Even though it was just a bus on a track, it still felt like a submarine:

 

[am1]

Money talks and attendance is higher then ever. In a few years we will get annual Florida resident off season weekday passes again and visit 2 or 3 times.

 

[Talent312]

There are peep at Disney who wear this t-shirt with pride...

 

[Panina]

A fun placeView attachment 9801

Yes it is, great picture!

 

[DrQ]

There are peep at Disney who wear this t-shirt with pride...

I think I've seen people walking out of divorce court wearing that shirt looking happier.

 

[pedro47]

A one day ticket is $109 dollars for one (1) person now.
Would I spent that to see my son and his family laughing, happy, smiling and enjoying themselves with my two (2) grandkids at a Disney park, or on a vacation with my spouse and I. Yes!!

Life is just to short. When you become a senior citizen and you start thinking ??
I should have gone fishing with my father, or my father in law, taking more vacations, working less hours, maybe I should have spend that $109 for a Disney ticket to see my grandchildren Happy for a Day with their a Grandparents.

How can you equate costs to see your grand children and family members, love ones enjoying a day at a Disney Park, or at a timeshare resort Together
with their parents and grandparents?

 

[WVBaker]

A one day ticket is $109 dollars for one (1) person now.
Would I spent that to see my son and his family laughing, happy, smiling and enjoying themselves with my two (2) grandkids at a Disney park, or on a vacation with my spouse and I. Yes!!

Life is just to short. When you become a senior citizen and you start thinking ??
I should have gone fishing with my father, or my father in law, taking more vacations, working less hours, maybe I should have spend that $109 for a Disney ticket to see my grandchildren Happy for a Day with their a Grandparents.

How can you equate costs to see your grand children and family members, love ones enjoying a day at a Disney Park, or at a timeshare resort Together
with their parents and grandparents?

The greatest joys of life are happy memories. Your job is to create as many of them as possible.

 

[bnoble]

The MagicBand for my next trip just arrived yesterday. I will spend real money on this trip, and I will enjoy it. Hopefully, all of the rest of you can convince everyone you know that the day is not worth it. Y'all are in my way.

 

[TravelTime]

I am a Disneyland junky and I agree with everyone who says it costs too much and is too crowded. Whenever the prices go up, I think I won't renew my pass. I always end up getting a new pass a few months after mine expires. It doesn't matter how much it costs. I usually only visit for a few hours and that's enough time for to check out of all the agonies of life for a while and be refreshed to get back to all my responsibilities.

This is why I like season passes for Disney and to ski. Then I feel less guilty when I only stay a few hours. When I pay by the day, my psyche says I need to get my money’s worth out of the day. When I have a season pass, I feel like I can come and go as I please. Then I am more into maximizing the number of days vs the hours in a day. Life is a bit more relaxing this way...if that is what one calls relaxing! LOL

 

[TravelTime]

And we will complete the circle for the second time. You are paying for one day of entertainment. Yes with 1972 technology the pandora ride would have to cost 200 dollars to ride, but I believe a top of the line entertainment day in 1972 is equivalent to a top of the line entertainment day today. If you want to insist that everything in the basket they use for inflation has to have been exactly the same in 1972 there is almost nothing there. We do measure inflation and a lot of things in our world use that number for very real decisions. I will use an example that does not fit your premise. Movies cost a lot more to make today than in the past. Movie tickets have risen much less than the cost to make these movies. In 2018 avengers cost 410 million to film. In 1972 the Godfather was the most expensive film costing 6 million. That is 68 fold. Ticket prices went from 1.76 to 8.97. Those are averages from a trade group and seem low on both years but are averages. Here we have costs to produce the entertainment going up 68 fold while the tickets for consumers went up only 5.

I understand what you are saying but I do not agree. Movies might not be a great example for many reasons. Technology has changed so much for how people consume movies. I have not looked up the numbers but I suspect movies theaters do not have the same monopoly now as in 1972. Companies make money differently now than in 1972. So much has changed. I do not think one day of entertainment now is the same as in 1972. Not by a long shot. I think premium products that are in high demand will exceed the rate of inflation. If there was not market demand, they could not charge premium prices. Entertainment that delivers what consumers want will charge more. I think this is a supply and demand issue.

 

[TravelTime]

I disagree whole heartedly that the quality is that much better. Most of the original rides exist and are still the major attractions at the magic kingdom. My favorite trips were in the late 70's early 80's and feel that the new rides have no where near the charm of the original rides. Today's disney is get in a car or on something and watch a movie. I still go on the same number of rides per day as I used to and I do not feel that is an improvement. I actually feel the quality of the attractions has actually gone down hill. The atmosphere in the park has deteriorated considerably. The crowding in of people has led to very stressed people and many more ugly scenes. The drink around the world at epcot has turned that area into a nightclub a lot of the time.

I think we will agree to disagree. I still will go to disney but the price increases have lowered the value I get for my dollar and I go much less often. It is up to each individual and their own financial situation to decide whether that value/cost ratio is worth it. You will not convince me that todays value is any where near the value I got 25 yrs ago or that the park experience is better.

As for additional charges....get real.... All the party's that need an extra ticket. All the meet and greets. Extra hours that demand an expensive stay on site, and park hopper options.

I do not think the stress of Disney...the crowds and lines...has increased since 1972. I went there so many times as a kid (at least 20+ times between age 6 and 18). We used to have to wait for hours at every ride. The parking situation was horrific. After a 25 year hiatus due to these bad memories, we went back to WDW last year. It is like night and day now. No lines using Fast Passes. No parking issues staying onsite. So much entertainment options for adults. Great restaurants. Fancy hotels. All the new parks, new rides, new shows. Disney is not an amusement park anymore. I see Disney as an entertainment company.

 

[silentg]

Yes it is, great picture!

That’s my daughter with me, we had a fun day, she just got an annual pass with the photo package included, hope to go a lot with her and my husband this year.
Love Disney!
Silentg

 

[Talent312]

I do not get Disney photos of myself.
I figure I look silly enuff in R-L photos, only more so in theme parks.
.

 

[mentalbreak]

Funny. I used to take vacation photos of only the sights (usually without people). But now the only ones I truly enjoy and treasure are the ones with loved ones — including poses at theme parks.

Looking back at photos from my teen years, just about every vacation photo includes me or one of my brothers showing some teenage attitude. My vacation rule with my kids is that we will continue to take you on vacation, but when Mom wants to stop for a photo you must participate and no grumpy face alllowed. So far they still enjoy trips with us and cooperate for photos.

And every trip, I take one or two of the best photos and order a refrigerator magnet.

 

[DrQ]

Where Disney started it's waterparks, anyone remember?

River Country

 

[clifffaith]

Call it nostalgia but I loved the level of illusion that went into this long dead attraction:

Even though it was just a bus on a track, it still felt like a submarine:

What?! They took the submarine out? I remember going every year at night in the fall when they had TRW (my dad's employer) nights. This would have been late 60s, early 70s. There was a shark that had lost the wire holding his nose level, so for several years there'd be the shark swimming nose down. Don't know why he wasn't fixed in a timely manner. And it was always a shock to see the sea monster's face after following his tail for a while at the end of the ride.

 

[DrQ]

What?! They took the submarine out? I remember going every year at night in the fall when they had TRW (my dad's employer) nights. This would have been late 60s, early 70s. There was a shark that had lost the wire holding his nose level, so for several years there'd be the shark swimming nose down. Don't know why he wasn't fixed in a timely manner. And it was always a shock to see the sea monster's face after following his tail for a while at the end of the ride.

Here's the rest of the story

 

[DaveNV]

Funny. I used to take vacation photos of only the sights (usually without people). But now the only ones I truly enjoy and treasure are the ones with loved ones — including poses at theme parks.

Looking back at photos from my teen years, just about every vacation photo includes me or one of my brothers showing some teenage attitude. My vacation rule with my kids is that we will continue to take you on vacation, but when Mom wants to stop for a photo you must participate and no grumpy face alllowed. So far they still enjoy trips with us and cooperate for photos.

And every trip, I take one or two of the best photos and order a refrigerator magnet.

I have a single female coworker who is raising a teenaged son. She loves taking him places, and they travel often. Disneyland, Hawaii, New York City - you name it, this kid has had a very cushy teenaged life. Coworker loves to share her photos on Facebook, or she'll hand around her cell phone in the cafeteria at lunchtime, so people can appreciate the pictures she took of the wonderful time they had on their most recent trip.

In EVERY PICTURE, she's smiling broadly, enjoying herself completely. Her son adopts an annoying, half-assed smile that is practically a sneer. Or he'll close one eye, or divert his eyes from the camera. The half-assed smile isn't like he was smiling a second ago, and the picture was too late. It's a specific, deliberate attempt to make himself ugly, so as to screw up the picture. And he usually succeeds. Family photos where everyone else has a brilliant smile and faces filled with pleasure, and there in the middle is the jerk son, doing his best to ruin the picture.

It's infuriating. I've met the kid, and he has a beautiful smile, most likely because of all the expense his Mother spent on braces for him. In unguarded moments, his genuine smile would light up a room. But in these pictures, he looks like he's stoned, or stupid.

I asked my coworker about it, and she just rolls her eyes, and says, "I've tried that, it doesn't work. He won't cooperate."

I'd love to have a serious talk with the little jerk. He thinks he's being clever, and I think he's ruining his Mother's memories.

Dave

 

[clifffaith]

Nooooo! Not Mr Toad's Wild Ride too!?! That train light and Devils at the end were so freakin' scary!

Our last trips to Disneyland were twice in the very early '90s on Super Bowl Sunday where rumor had it the place would be almost deserted. Lines were very short, and we were not impressed with Toon Town which had just opened a few months earlier. I expect with Downtown Disney (went there once just to meet someone for a meal and leave) and California Adventure (never been and don't ever plan to) that short lines on Bowl day are a thing of the past.

 

[Brett]

I remember being at WDW on new years eve in the 90's and there were no lines! We continuously went through the Haunted Mansion three times

 

[bluehende]

I do not think the stress of Disney...the crowds and lines...has increased since 1972. I went there so many times as a kid (at least 20+ times between age 6 and 18). We used to have to wait for hours at every ride. The parking situation was horrific. After a 25 year hiatus due to these bad memories, we went back to WDW last year. It is like night and day now. No lines using Fast Passes. No parking issues staying onsite. So much entertainment options for adults. Great restaurants. Fancy hotels. All the new parks, new rides, new shows. Disney is not an amusement park anymore. I see Disney as an entertainment company.

I think it is more of a fact that there is no slow time now. In the past we would go when it was uncrowded. Now that time does not exist. I would imagine summer and holidays have not changed a lot. January and september have.

 

[TravelTime]

I think it is more of a fact that there is no slow time now. In the past we would go when it was uncrowded. Now that time does not exist. I would imagine summer and holidays have not changed a lot. January and september have.

All I can say is in my 20+ visits in the 1970s and 1980s, it was always crowded and there was no way around the lines. Now Fast Passes can make it seem like you are in an oasis inside of the parks. That is completely different. Maybe they should offer a cheaper ticket with no FastPasses. Then you can compare 1971 to now. Also if you compare a MK only restricted park ticket with no FastPasses (this does not exist) to a ticket that allows 4 parks with FastPasses (even if you can only visit one park per day), that would be more comparable. There does not seem to be much innovation in the Magic Kingdom. That is pretty close to what it was when they first opened.

 

[MichaelColey]

We might be on our last set of annual passes. (But probably not.)

We've always been able to go frugally. (I hesitate to say cheaply, because Disney is never cheap.)

About 10 years ago, we went 4 or 5 years in a row using their Free Dining promotions. We could get 14 nights in All Star Movies, 10 days in the parks, and 14 days of the full dining plan (one table service, one quick service, one snack) for 4 of us for about $2500. (Looking for a friend of ours, something comparable with the current free dining plan is almost $5000 and doesn't include table service.)

After we had kid #5, outgrew rooms for 4, and discovered timeshares, we bought a 25 point DVC contract resale for under $2000. Since then, we've bought annual passes three times (I think they were roughly $400, $500, and $600 those three times) when they had sales that made them even cheaper than the normal DVC discount. We've more than paid for our DVC contract with those 15 annual passes. Every time we got annual passes, we would go 3-6 times in the 365 days, for a total of 6-12 weeks. Then we would take some time off.

Initially, we used RCI exchanges and got into 2BR DVC properties. (THOSE WERE THE DAYS!) Between the cost of our maintenance fees (we were typically at about $10/TPU, and it typically took 25-60 TPU) and the Disney fee, these weeks typically cost us $500-$800. And we got full on-site perks.

When 2BR DVC properties stopped becoming available through RCI, we switched strategies to using II Short Stay Exchanges to get 6-night reservations at very nice nearby 2BR or 3BR timeshares. If you have a lockoff with a MF under $800 (and we have several of those), split it, and use each half for two short stay exchanges, you basically get four 6-day exchange for $350-400 each.

You can still get a good deal, but it gets harder and harder.

What kills me though is that it keeps getting more and more packed. One of our favorite times to go is in early December, in the lull between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We went last month. Let me tell you. THERE IS NO LULL anymore. I'm not sure I've seen it that packed in mid-summer. It was crazy. I'm familiar enough with the parks that we were able to maximize our time there (and since we were there about 2 weeks, we didn't feel like we needed to cram it all in), but it was nowhere near as enjoyable as it used to be.

And as the kids get older, it's no longer magical to them. I'll never forget the trip when my daughter was 4. She had a look of wonder on her face everywhere we went. The characters were real. Now, and 15, 13 and 8, they often don't even want to go to the parks.