When did Disney get so expensive?

Dining plan is not worth it. Especially if only the quick service plan.

quote:

---

Dining plan is not worth it. Especially if only the quick service plan.

---

We went for 10 days in July with 4 adults and 3 kids from 10 to 14. We out out every night including 7 signature restaurants and had lunch in the parks every day. All together we spent about 2800 on food. The dining plan would have been 4000.

For lunch we split meals because they give you plenty. For dinner we never get an appitizer or dessert, but we drink a lot.

I actually disagree. I believe the DDP is 100% worth it.

ETA: I’m going in March and this is what my Disney travel agent is quoting me for last year to give me an idea of price ...

2019 (5 nights, 6 days)
2 Adults, 4 Children (ages 6,5,3 & 1)

MAGIC YOUR WAY PACKAGE
Disney Dining Plan

Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside
Standard View

$2,128.15

quote:

---

It’s ridiculous but they charge what people will pay and this generation of parents eat it up (and a lot of them once a year).

---

It's not just parents, I've had co workers, both in their 20s, take a week off and went to Disney World this year. One went with her husband and the other with her girlfriends, none had children.

The flights back to NOLA on southwest are where they really get you.

quote:

---

cheap flight with SW

---

Lololololol. No such thing.

I would agree. Average one bedroom condo runs about $450 a night.

quote:

---

Have you ever used a Disney planner?

---

Is this a service provided by Disney or a travel agent who specializes in Disney?

I just started looking at planning a trip there for early Summer 2020 and it’s information overload. Wilderness Lodge looks good for kids, Contemporary looks convenient.

I’m convinced that I’m missing deals or something else that’s critical.

I do Disney travel planning as well. It costs the consumer nothing to use a Disney travel planner, and you pay the same price that you would if you booked directly with Disney. Additionally, you have a resource who will give you guidance on which resorts would be best for your family, will assist with planning your itinerary, will book your dining and fastpasses the minute your booking window opens [unless you would prefer to stay home from work and spend two hours doing this], and will operate as a backup to assist you during your trip if there are any issues. We handle, transfers, strollers, special events, scooter rentals, etc... anything you need done. I even create clients’ My Disney Experience accounts for them and get them all set up.

Yes, you could do it on your own but why when you can have assistance for free?

And regarding the guy who got the great price above on his package for next year, that is because his 1 year old eats free and ages 3 to 9 are MUCH cheaper for tickets and dining plan. Lucky him! This summer I took my three adult kids, a son-in-law and a friend and paid for 7 adults. Lots more expensive with that many drinkers!

Finally, yes Disney is expensive. But it is a ton of fun [as long as you can avoid crowded times]. You might want to check out Universal. Two awesome parks plus one water park [and they are building a new park right now]. Many of the rides far surpass what Disney is doing right now ... and all conveniently located around a central Citiwalk entertainment district and in walking distance of three great hotels which get you Unlimited Express as a room perk. It is a much easier vacation than Disney World in that respect, and the food is less expensive.

We went to Disney World for Mardi Gras in both 2017 and 2018. 2017 we stayed on property and 2018 we stayed off property. I honestly didn't find staying off property to be that much more difficult and it was a significant cost saving.

-Book a condo on Airbnb

-Buy a few groceries to eat a cheap breakfast each morning before heading to the park.

-Don't buy the dining plan. Everyone acts like the food at Disney is some amazing culinary experience but it's not. Skip the expensive sit down meals (maybe do a character dining for the kids) and save a few bucks by eating quick service meals.


On another note, half of Louisiana goes to Disney World for Mardi Gras. This year we went to Disneyland and it was awesome because hardly anybody was there at that time of year. Yeah, there's only two parks but we still had a blast.

You can find some dirt cheap flights to LAX around that time. Countless hotels within walking distance of Disneyland at very affordable rates.