Cost of Disney Amusement Parks

a reply to: minusinfinity

Yeah, I get how that sounds. I know it's BS and stupid. But I can swallow a little BS to give my kid a great time as much as possible. They're only kids once, and memories are priceless.

a reply to: FlyersFan

usually a season pass is the same price as a one day (or almost). At least it is here for Universal Studios Hollywood, and the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park. Also Six Flags Magic Mtn. Disneyland Is pretty pricey though, about $400 for a year pass.

Although, when I have went, would be willing to pay twice that have HALF the crowd, be able to enjoy it all without 2hr waits at the best rides.... and never go again

Look at it this way. You could pay more per ticket than Disneyland at Legoland where you can look at legos, play with legos, or buy legos. A Legoland ticket now costs $107, so what will it be?

Legoland or Disneyland?

I think there are two different ways to see Disneyworld. I did it on the truck, by myself, the first time. Almost free by comparison. Just a short timeshare to endure (like bamboo under fingernails, but another thread), parking bobtail to enjoy the park at the timeshare discount and whoo-hoo! Disney on the spare money plan.

The family and I also went a few years ago and I'll just say with the mid range hotel inside the Disney property (A must for ALL that comes with it, for the experience) it ran into the thousands for the 4 day stay. More than a few and less than a bunch....and I'm *REAL* happy my son loved it as much as he did.

I'll never be back.

I think I was about 11 when when my family got to go to Disneyland it was awesome because I wasn't too old to be bored by Disney but I was tall enough to ride all the rides. I grew up "working poor" so I have to assume that the increase in ticket prices have outpaced wage increases.

It''s a shame they've made it so that some can't afford to even spend a single day in the park. Being amongst the poor kids always sucked on those first "what did you do over the summer" days of school. Especially when you had one of those sadist teachers who made you stand up and announce it to everyone. The kids don't understand you can't afford it, that it's so expensive you almost wouldn't go on principle alone.

I suggest not showing your kids any Disney (yeah right). Show them Peanuts cartoons and take them to Knott's Berry Farm (California) or King's Island (Ohio). It's way cheaper (around $40 a day), way less crowded, and they have better rides.

This is really nothing more than consumers being handed down the price of energy costs.

Disney was a lot cheaper when gas and electric were also cheaper.

So was food and drinks at the park, because it costed us less for fuel to get it there and keep it hot or cold.

What you are really complaining about is inflation and corporate greed. In order to keep their profits going up, they have to always drive costs down, and the ONLY way to do that is to offset those costs to the consumer. You can blame that on a number of things, one of them being the Federal Reserve and our current government's fiscal stupidity.

Parking fees are just robbery, no justifying that.

~Namaste

a reply to: calstorm

Yes I agree. California Disney Land was FILTHY last time I went. It was years ago but it was 'city dirty'. The one in Florida is much much much nicer.

a reply to: FlyersFan
I haven't been to the one in Florida, but that is good to know.
Just saw how badly I butchered my original post (wasn't fully awake yet) I hate the edit time limit.

a reply to: FlyersFan

As long as people continue to patronize Disney, the price will never come down. Entertainment prices are skyrocketing, yet people still reach down in their pockets to buy tickets to these amusement parks, sporting and concert events.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Yeah it's expensive!! As a father of four kids I know all about it...

Disney isn't around the corner for me but we have an amusement park here with similar prices. Every trip (which is every year) will costs me atleast 250,- euro and that's just to park your car and get into the park!!

Although I was surprised to find out that this park (The Efteling, Holland) out of the 450 million euro they make each year only 10 million remains as profit. Which they invest into new attractions....

Peace

Really its not necessarily that bad, near me is Dreamworld Australia's premiere amusement park adults are about $82 us and children $56 us the park is equivalent to say Knotts berry farm but certainly not a Six Flags,people save up to travel to Orlando or California and will often do more than one attraction which makes it cheaper for example a season ticket to Dreamword/Seaworld/Whitewater world here at the Gold Coast is a cheaper proposition than visiting each individually.

100 dollars wont get you a decent seat at the football or get you into a Rolling Stones concert so Orlando Disney at least isnt as big a rip off as you might think compared to other first class entertainment.

a reply to: FlyersFan
We did Six Flags AstroWorld in Houston a lot as well as Splash Town. Back in the mid 60's when the Astrodome opened we did the tour. Used to visit NASA a lot too, got a few good tours from my Cousin's husband when he was a contractor there. Didn't much care for Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio.

I went to Disney World the first time just after it opened to the public while on a school trip.

Been back several times before we got the lay of the land and all the amenities available.

If you are going to do Disney, save up and do it whole hog. Be sure to take a scanner. During our visits they used plain radios with no encryption. A lot of stuff goes on behind the scenes. If still available the Underground tour is interesting as is the Hydroponic Gardens tour. We've been during the summer and the off-season (fewer people, shorter queues). We liked off-season the best.

We liked to take a extra few days outside Disney to look at other attractions, burn up the balance of two weeks with travel before moving on to Disney. We liked dropping our car at the airport, renting a newer luxury car and driving.

Years ago when my friend and I were both still working and had to take our accumulated vacation, we spent a week two separate years in the big suites at the top, on the Concierge floor, of the Contemporary Resort.

At the time, seemingly in conflict with where we were staying, we tailored a package that included Gold Key passes and lots of other goodies. The Gold Key included transportation, all the parks, meals, snacks and gratuity. When a waiter saw the card they always recommended the best they had. We did it mainly so we didn't need to carry much except a small fanny pack and camera. We just paid the up charge for the suite.

I think they called it the Presidential suite and it had a Bay Lake View.

Our AT&T account manager gave us passes to their VIP lounge at Epcot for refreshments and which also allowed us to bypass the queue of the Spaceship Earth ride.

We only got in trouble at the character breakfast on one trip when we told Chip and Dale we suspected them being gay. Since they are not allowed to speak, we got a note explaining their relationship. The other characters were a little cold after that.

We did get to meet a celebrity or two staying up there but it has been long enough and we are not that impressed with celebrity, so I can't remember who.

I know the accountants have gotten into everything now and don't know if it would be as much fun any more. I looked around and they dismantled the Magic Kingdom Club and the Gold Key. It looks like they modified the suites and now offer a Platinum Card that does some of the same things but the waiters and restaurants don't have the best and don't push the best anymore.

Maybe the 70's and 80's were the best times and we don't have that kind of spare change to blow any more.

We also tried a week long Caribbean cruise but neither of us liked the regimentation or eating with the same people all the time. But we were glad we booked a large suite with a balcony. We liked the casino but it didn't hold a candle to Vegas. The stops were kind of filthy. Definitely need more than three semi formal gowns for meals and activities. We should have done the research and planning ourselves. Trusting an agent was a mistake. I think we would have loved the old prewar transatlantic steam ships.

I think now, if we were feeling well enough, we would definitely go to Vegas or Branson, Missouri.

New York was too crowded, New Jersey was blah and San Fransisco was strange although across the bridge and a walk in Muir Woods was great. Taos, New Mexico was relaxing.

A tour of the Nation Parks again would be fun except for all the crime and the Government pests.

I enjoyed a tour of Fermi Labs, HP, DEC and IBM manufacturing/sales head quarters, disappointed in the Bull & Finch Pub in Boston, Fenway Park was interesting, Wrigley Field was OK but the Playboy Club in Chicago was embarrassing with all those guys.

Anyway, we just like staying home, visiting friends and occasionally fishing in the Gulf of Mexico or one of the Bays.

What part of your kids are being brainwashed into good little Disney mind-control robotic consumers by having the teevee on all the time do you not get?

Kill your teevee and your kids will barely have heard of GD Disneyland!

You want to give them an education without it costing a fortune? Take them to the local aquarium, art gallery, science museums, parks both local and national.

Take a year and tour the world as ecotourists. Pull them out of that corporate brainwashing environment of fluorescent lights and groupthink and let them be exposed to other cultures, other languages and some kinda food besides McDonalds.

Sheesh. You would think people on this forum, of all places, would be smart enough to know that Goofy and Pluto and Cinderella and Mickey are all for suckers. It's like spending a small fortune on trips to visit the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny.

i just got back from the us, and went to Disneyland CA, and Universal Orlando.
I stayed on property at both, and they both had good and bad aspects (though Universal had a lot less downsides)
We got upgraded to "The Presidential Suite" at Disneyland Paradise Pier... whooo biggest apartment i have ever stayed in!!!
I really hated the lines at Disneyland... never going again. We both loved Universal so much more, used fast pass everywhere and felt like royalty walking past everyone waiting in line...

honestly the prices didnt seem too steep for us... we have a yearly "Royal Show" here in adelaide, South Australia that has entry cost of about $30 and each ride costs about $10 it would easily add up over the day to about the same cost as Disneyland... but the place is a craphole... luckily i have access to lifetime membership so never have to pay to enter, but i realise how expensive it must be for families.

Who can afford it, you ask? Apparently some can. I know I can't. Not that I care to in the first place. I can go to a waterpark, hell, even Six Flags or Sea World for less than that. And I've done all those things and I wouldn't bother going back to the last two anyways. (Neck injury from Six Flags and animal abuse in Sea World.)
Waste of money imo. Better off spent elsewhere.

a reply to: FlyersFan
You can organize a protest on their park entrance for protest their charge.
LOL

It is basic economics of supply and demand. Last time I went to disneyland it was packed. Tons of people and lines weaving around the park. To reduce populations inside the park, just raise the prices.

I wonder if our government views their economic policies the same way when they refuse to raise minimum wage, yet the cost of living goes up, the poor people are left behind. I don't want to get too far off topic.

What to do? Find more meaningful vacations for your family. Plan an awesome camping trip and vow to leave all electronic devices (except a cell phone for emergencies) at home. Reconnect in front of a campfire like our ancestors have been doing for thousands of years. Teach them to appreciate nature. Show your son how to build a fire. Teach your daughter how to fish. Hike with your significant other to a mountain peak and watch a sunset. Dust off that acoustic guitar and embarrass the kids with some classic rock songs...

I guarantee your family will appreciate and always remember some undivided attention in a quiet nature setting, versus a panicked money-wasting sprint around a bunch of gluttonous corporate slaves.

Just a thought for my fellow anti-proles.

Thank you for that paleness

a reply to: ColeYounger

a reply to: FlyersFan

I don't know how anyone affords the prices these days! When we were in Florida, we did go to Busch Gardens quite a lot, but that was with a yearly resident pass, that cost the price of a day ticket. At that time, that was around $40 a person. Not bad, when you got in for a year for that. We did pay parking ,and no discounts were included, but for a year, it was a good deal. Even living in Florida, though, we never could afford Disney. The cost was prohibitive. I remember when admission for places like that was under $$20 a head.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Yeah tell me about it! Just got back from a 6 day trip to Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and Wet and Wild. Safe to say my account has only 20 bucks in it. 8 bucks for a small crunchy taco, 22 dollars a day for parking, 9.50 for a beer, and the list goes on! Stayed in the most expensive hotel at Universal Orlando and I have to say that I was very disappointed. 20 dollars a day just to use the fridge, water bottles and snacks were all on sensors that charge you if you take them off, and the pools closed at 11. It was pretty cool though because you could buy a big keepsake bottle at Universal for 10 bucks which allowed you to refill it with juice, coke, or water for only 99 cents. We also bought a big bucket that allowed us to get refills of popcorn for only 1.34. If you fly then you are forced to buy food from venders which would cost a fortune literally. Luckally we had friends that drove which allowed us to bring our cooler with cheap beer and food. It cost a 100 dollars for 4 people to eat at diners such as Bob Marley or Margaritaville which is a bit steep I think. Now I am broke! Lol, when I arrived home Tuesday I found tickets to Disney World that I won in a sweepstakes, so luckally I was able to sell them to some other poor sap who will spend a ton like we did. 6 days at Orlando Studios was enough for me.