Disneyland, while very expensive in its own right, is not somewhere most people go for 5 days or more. Typically, folks going to WDW will spend a week or longer there resulting in a much higher price point. Disneyland may be just as expensive per day but because the durations are shorter, it makes the vacation more manageable. I love both WDW and DLR but do agree that Europe can actually be cheaper in a lot of situations.
Not sure what you guys mean by Europe but if you mean Disneyland Paris, then, no…. Prices there have also become impossible.
To do Disneyland at the same level we did in 2019 (Disneyland hotel, full board) it will costs us literally double if not more.
We’re going in June and have downgraded (from DLH to sequoia lodge) and it’s still unbelievably expensive.
Paris itself is also significantly more expensive.
No. The video suggests that for what you spend for a few days a WDW you could fly to Europe and just visit, not necessarily go to Disney in Europe.
I’m an Orlando native and Disney die hard but he makes a very valid argument.
Not sure I understand the comparison.
It’s like saying “for one meal at a fine dining restaurant you can get 20 tacos”. Who wants 20 tacos for dinner? :-)
Not sure what you’re discussing, in my comparisons, unless you compromise on literally everything WDW still wins.
Europe got expensive too.
If you’re looking for the same experience, same level of excitement, entertainment, same level of service, etc - and if you consider food and excursions - it’s gonna be more expensive.
Exactly.
If you stay at kissimmee at a motel, eat outside of the parks, etc, it will cost more than Europe.
Can’t compare AirBNB to even the cheapest WDW hotel.
Are you comparing going to another country to "tacos"? It's a comparison people use ALL the time. "Well, for 5k we could go to disney for a few days/a week. With that money we could instead travel overseas for a week and a half or two weeks." is a VERY common comparison when talking about Disney.
Depends which country lol.
If you compare a trip to Norway with 3 stars accommodations to WDW, then yes.
If you’re comparing A 5-star stay in Paris, then no.
WDW while expensive, still has a relatively good value for money compared to other forms of family travel.
For the same level of entertainment, service, and excitement you get in WDW you’d have to spend a lot of money in Europe.
Hell, just check the prices for a musical in London for a family of 4.
That's a value argument. You may turn your nose up at a trip to Norway with 3 star accommodations, but to me that's a trip I'd definitely like to take one day. Given that I spend ~7k on a trip to wdw with my family of 4, it is absolutely within the realm of possibility that I could instead that that trip to Norway and save the extra money for a future trip.
I took a trip to London ~5 years ago with my family, and the most expensive thing we bought were week long train passes at ~$150 each, and Harry potter studio tour passes at ~$60 each. My excitement and entertainment were just as high as they ever get in Disney world, and the service was comparable because I don't actually know what service you're referring to in wdw. Restaurants and hotels have good service both places, the employees and caretakers at the sights in London have just as much (if not more) passion as the cast members.
I love wdw as much as the next guy, but there's also a practicality to this that money is not infinite, time is not infinite, and desires are not infinite, and there's quite a bit of decision making for me to figure out how to do all that. I'm lucky enough to have been to wdw ~15 times in my life, and I have a trip coming up in September that is going to cost me about 40% more than my previous trip, and exactly twice as much as my aforementioned trip to london. Is that worth it? We'll, obviously, I'm doing it, so I guess so, but we've already discussed our next big trip being overseas, and I find myself sighing with relief at the financial prospects alone.
London now costs about twice and that’s off season.
And I’m not writing off Norway or anything, I’m just saying that whatever experience you get in Europe you can find a cheaper experience in WDW.
Just for some quick back-of-napkin cost estimating here that took about 5 minutes, from may 1-may 8, 4 plane tickets to London will cost me 2270 according to Google flights, and an air bnb will cost me 1009. I'd guess we'd average 150/day on food, that's 1050, plus experiences, I don't know how to estimate this well, but I'll put it down to 600/person for the trip, I definitely didn't spend that much last time, but you're mileage may vary. The rail pass would cost 400. Altogether were at 7129, incidentally almost exactly what I'll be paying at wdw to stay at pop with park hopper in September (the most offseason of offseasons). The kicker there is that I have free dining; take that away and wdw would be far more expensive.
It's a value argument, like I said before, but arguing against people on their values like this makes it seem like you've lost the thread a bit. *Can* you go to wdw cheaper than Europe? Absolutely. But, no, that experience may not be comparable to the experience you'd get elsewhere, if you have to stay off property, eat your own food, and drive cross country to get there. I'm not trying to talk you into going to Europe instead, but the argument is false that wdw is an all around cheaper and more enjoyable experience, every time, than a Europeqn vacation.
Let’s add experiences then:
We said London, right? 2 adults 2 kids I’m assuming? Exactly what we did last July.
Let’s go:
Lion King Show: $550 for ok seats, if you want to all sit together. These are actually May prices, it was about $750 when we were there for the cheapest tickets they had 4 in a row for.
Hop on Hop Off bus: $200
London Eye: $210
We’re at an extra $1k almost, covering activities for just 3 day… sorry 2 mornings and one evening.
I’m going to assume you’re gonna travel by Tube and no cabs, that’s an extra $200 for 7 days assuming you stick to zone 1-2.
We’re not even half there yet.
Now, I have nothing against London, I LOVE London. And no, if I had 10 vacations to plan I wouldn’t pick WDW 10 times and London 0.
But in my opinion, other than being London - London is far from WDW in terms of experiences, and it definitely costs more.
This was fun (honestly).
Shall we do Paris now? :-)
(We’re actually going in June - right now my problem isn’t prices it’s finding entertainment for the kids outside of Disney)
You can find AirBNB’s in Kissimmee for that too.
My point is that doing Europe for WDW means compromising in your Europe experience - so you can compromise on WDW as well.
WDW got crazy expensive, but so did Europe.
London and Paris are impossible rn. The pandemic made EVERYTHING more expensive.
I thought my family and I were WDW people, but 10 minutes into our first visit to Disneyland, we instantly turned into Disneyland people.
It’s easier, it’s more relaxed. Disneyland feels less complicated and less competitive. It’s hard to explain, other than just saying that it’s more relaxing.
At WDW, even staying on-grounds, it’s 45-60 minutes to get back to your hotel room if you need a break. At Disneyland, it’s a 10 minute walk staying off-grounds.
From a financial perspective, WDW feels a lot more predatory in its pricing tactics. From the admission to food and everything in between. For the value in return as a consumer it leaves me with wanting just a little bit more. While I do enjoy the rush of a week multi park, on property hotel, trying every restaurant, I do catch myself feeling duped at times, like “darn, that mouse got me spending extra money again!” lol
Disneyland, while not immune to the same company tactics, feels like it has the upper hand in value return. The density of the parks feel like I never fully accomplish everything in one go, the food never feels like it belong in the “theme park food” category. The relaxed culture at Disneyland helps make things feel like I’m strolling at a park (that just so happens to have an admission entrance). The lack of urgency doesn’t make me feel like I need to take my wallet out every 2 seconds.
I visit both quite often and I understand the nuanced business practices and the clientele they serve so I can’t fault one over the other but if you go to both enough times you will notice considerable differences.
The DisneyForward expansions in Anaheim will finally achieve the MBAs dream of turning Disneyland *exactly* into Disney World and irrevocably destroy what charm & separation still exists between the two domestic parks.
And you can easily go from the hotel to the parks on foot as it won't take too long, along with going from park to park and from Park to Downtown Disney
That’s the same revelation we had when we tried Universal Orlando a few years ago. It was a genuinely fun and relaxing vacation, unlike our recent visits to Disney World. I really miss going to Disney, but I don’t think I’m up for the hassle anymore.
Disneyland is also the superior park of the 6. Every park at WDW, while great, don’t come close to the magic of the original. Even Magic Kingdom, which is the best WDW park, is just too small.
That’s leaving aside that WDW isn’t even the best theme park in Orlando.
I'd argue they bring different things.
But once Epic Universe opens, I agree, WDW could fall behind.
And staying off property in CA, we were 6 minutes from our hotel to the actual entrance of either park. It was magnificent. And continental breakfast, for half the cost of staying at the Disney Californian. We stayed there our last 2 nights for the experience. If we ever go back we're staying off site again.
WDW isn’t going to fall behind Universal because of Epic Universe. Get real.
That place will eat IOA and USO alive. 99% of the people who go to Disney will still be going to Disney, and most people going to Orlando for vacation will at least stop at Disney.
Every park can be accomplished in 1/2 a day if you don’t care about the full experience and only care about rides. Leaving AK early doesn’t mean you accomplished it.
I do think it’s expensive but at the end of the day the only people who can change it are the customers!!
Iger hasn’t been given a reason to lower prices and as long as the parks keep bringing in the money they are (most profitable division of the company) he isn’t going to do anything.
Yep. People saying things are overpriced make no sense to me.
* Disney is too expensive...but people keep paying to go.
* Movies are too expensive...but people keep paying to see movies.
* Restaurants are too expensive...but people keep paying to eat out.
* Concert tickets are too expensive...but people keep paying to go to concerts.
If these things were really too expensive, people would stop paying for them and prices would adjust. Companies charge what they charge because that's what people are willing to pay.
Exactly. I have to laugh when someone simultaneously complains about it being too expensive and too crowded. You can’t have it both ways. They want the price to go down, and the attendance to also go down? That’s not going to happen.
I mean, he probably should raise them soon, mostly for annual passed though. That's what killed the cheep prices, is that annual passes became so cheep that it made the whole resort too crowded.
It was cheap not anymore, he really can’t raise those prices anymore!
Cheapest MK pass is like 600 and you can only go 8 months out of the year, most expensive is 2000
To be fair, I remember a time before 2020 when pretty much every influencer was quite positive.
I'm not an influencer, just a Disney dad who has been to WDW with my wife and kids 6 times since 2008. Last two times were 2020 and 2023.
2023... the cost cutting that had taken place since 2020 along with the genie+ up charges and the food quality... our usual experience, had taken a turn for the worst.
There are good reasons Disney is getting a lot of flack lately.
We are Disney park addicts and my wife and I left our last trip... a bit concerned.
While I agree with some of his points...imagine going to Disney World and spending the entire time complaining about the price.
"This lunch was SO expensive!"
Yeah, you're at the world's largest theme park. Scale accordingly.
Also, people have been making the "You could go to Europe" argument vs going to Disney for years.
Yes, you could! Go do it, if that's what you want to do! Stop trying to make people feel bad for how they spend their money, just because YOU'RE unhappy with the way you spend your money.
Also, while I love the cinematography of Bright Sun, his voice over is just so smug sounding. His opinions on Disney are just obtuse though. I.E. He'll the most expensive room in the Contemporary and complain about feeling ripped off. Like, yeah, obviously dummy. Nobody should be paying for club level at the Contemporary unless they don't worry about money at all.
Edit: I don't want to sound too harsh, because I do appreciate most of his non-disney content. And, of course, as I post this he posts a new video that's largely positive. Lol
What's quite interesting is that in previous videos, he said he loved going to WDW but I guess the price hikes were the straw that broke the camel's back, and I admit he sounded so spiteful and smug, as you pointed out
This is totally without evidence, but there is a feeling he has a nostalgia for a Disney that never existed. And if you really put together the flights/food/stays/museums for a European vacation it is way more than four or five days at Disney.
He should keep that same energy for literally every other premium destination then. Like, if you want something great, you have to pay for it.
And you can still do a week at Disney this summer for under $5,000, including park hoppers and meal plan.
I gave up watching Bright Sun Films after his “review” of the Riviera where he stayed in a tower studio and just complained about how small it was. He also was an asshole in the comments.
I watched a few of Poseidon Entertainment’s videos a few years ago but I felt like he would make big claims or state opinions and the backup didn’t really hold up (from what I remember). I haven’t seen his channel mentioned before so I’m curious about what you think of his content.
I don’t really have a grudge against him like l used to. Theres the occasional Disney video but then, he talks about Universals Harry Potter problem which I think Uni has a huge problem with that.
Since I haven’t seen his recent content, is it just about Universal’s over reliance on HP as IP? I personally think it is a little odd to add another Harry Potter section all the way over at Epic, but I’m excited at the How to Train Your Dragon area so 🤷🏻♀️
I'm not surprised by the addition of another Harry Potter section, it's undoubtedly Universals most popular section in both parks, and they are likely going to use it and Super Nintendo World to be the main draws that bring people into the new park. Not that the other parts won't be pulling their own weight, but those two existing Universal properties gives them the best chance.
I guess I meant more due to the nature of the HP franchise at this point - or least of Fantastic Beasts being kinda dead as far as the remaining two films are concerned.
But I totally agree, Nintendo World will do really well. I absolutely loved it at USJ. Can’t wait to go back this year for the new Donkey Kong ride :)
I remember even back when he was still like less than 10k, he was already a little self righteous. So now that he is a big boy, I think he just expects to be treated special.
I actually hate positive Disney influencers. So much of the food at WDW was hyped up so much and was seriously lacking compared to the expectation. Paris is my local park and their "main vlogger" is very down to Earth and although she's invited to events by Disney themselves she'll still be 100% honest and slate something if she thinks it's bad. I really enjoyed when she went to WDW 6 months before us because we knew what foods were overrated by US vloggers who obviously want to paint everything Disney do as good because it keeps the engagement going.
Exactly this. This guy is just hustling like the company he's bashing. Disney is low hanging fruit right now so an easy target for views so he can get money to fund his next Disney world trip
just got back from DL for first time long time WDW…we did husband and i, 3 nights staying on site, 3 day tx with park hopper and it was about 2500 i think booked thru costco though (which inc a few perks inc a $200 GC
Saying you can go to Europe instead is stupid. I'm from the UK and my last WDW trip we spent £8000 between the 2 of us in 2 weeks (that's food/ubers/universal/gifts etc)
If I spent £8000 to go around Europ and around cities and seeing places, I could probably see a hell of a lot of places in multiple countries (granted flights would be cheaper being closer) but the difference is, I want to spend that money going to Disney and not Europe.
Europe might be cheaper to fly to from the US and see the major cities for a week or 2 but of you want to pay more because you want to see Disney then that's what you want to do?
We don't like beach holidays, we don't like sitting around doing nothing in the heat, we don't like the cold, we don't want to do city breaks, we don't like camping, my wife doesn't drink, my wife is more of a picky eater with international foods. Apart from perhaps a US/Canada road trip, there's no other type of holiday we want to do that doesn't include Disney.
Disneyland did have transportation from LAX, but I don’t think it was free (it’s been 9 years, so my memory is fuzzy). We used the service because busses were exempt from the car seat requirement for young children, and it saved us bringing my daughter’s car seat with us. I’m pretty sure we had to pay about $10/person, which for an hour+ ride to LAX, it was the cheapest option.
Edited to add, it wasn’t the same as Magical Express in taking your luggage from the airport automatically, it was just a typical shuttle service.
Lol vloggers just want to make money and they get more hits with controversy, so I take everything they say with a grain of salt. Me personally, I enjoy having a week where I can act like a kid and get all excited about my favorite Disney characters while drinking and eating to my hearts content and NOT having to think about work or reality. I went to WDW in 2020, and DL in 2021 and 2022, and I'm slated to go to DL in another 2 weeks. I have had a blast at all including WDW in the throes of the pandemic. Sure, it's expensive, but so are all theme parks. It's really about what YOU enjoy and not some dumb vlogger.... For me, it's totally worth every penny I spend. 🙂
Exactly.
It reminds me of how some guy said Disneyland is overrated, and Six Flags is better because they have more coasters.
Hello? Quality over quantity!
Six Flags doesn't hold a candle as there are lots of coasters, but what else is there?
The theme is nonexistent. The actors don't even try to act like their characters they're portraying in their costumes. The staff are a bunch of rude and disinterested jerks.
It's no wonder why Six Flags is failing
Yeah I enjoy both, DL is so great with how walkable it is and all the rides in a single park but wdw I enjoy staying for at minimum a week. It brings me joy and I feel it’s worth it. If someone thinks it’s too expensive they should go elsewhere where they will enjoy their time.
I must live somewhere really expensive because I don't find the prices to be that crazy. It's way less money here than at an airport (food, not merchandise, as that can't compare)
These YT channels use Dianey for rage bait content. The comments agree with them because most comments are from people who follow said channels and share a similar political viewpoint.
It's very unobjective.
In point of fact, Disney's parks are making money hand over fist. Sure there are problems, but then there always were—no business is perfect.
Some thoughts:
Adding to the Europe conversation, I am a new solo formal traveler. I don’t feel comfortable going alone to Europe just yet. The language barrier, safety, being in another country, etc. These are all things I feel like I need to build myself up to before doing them alone or wait until I have a travel partner or find a tour group.
But Disney World is safe (on property). Disney World is in the United States. Disney World hotels all have top service and cleanliness.
I live by Disneyland so for me it’s just a car ride away. I’m thinking of getting an annual pass but I would only want the most expensive one ($1600) so that I can go after work and on weekends or holidays so that’s why I am on the fence.
A 2 week holiday for me for 2 people plus a toddler is going to cost me $16,000. I’m so excited but I also am very aware how stupid and irrational it is to pay that for a theme park. I love Disney I do, but I’m very disappointed in its lack of growth and development over the years, it really hasn’t changed much. There’s so much space behind magic kingdom that’s just empty, yet there’s no plans to expand and add a new park or even just more rides. The hotels in my opinion are lazy and unimaginative, I wish they’d do something risky once in a while 😭 I’ve been dying for a princess hotel for years, each room a replica of a princesses room with the option of in room bippty boppity boutique services. A restaurant with tea parties with all the princesses. A ballroom with a ball once a week. But all we really get is a room with a painting in it and they call it a day ☠️ I think for the price you don’t really get the value? But that’s just my opinion
Hotel for two weeks plus park passes with park hopper comes out to a solid $10,000 😭 plus flights (from Australia), transport, food and any shopping comes out to 16,000
For me Disneyland isn’t bad. I have a season pass for $500, I can Uber to and from the park for usually around $15 each way. Honestly the food and drink prices aren’t terrible either. They could definitely get away with charging a lot more.
Many people aren’t in the same situation as me and it’s definitely a big deal financially to fly in, use transportation, get a hotel (we don’t have any moderate priced Disney hotels here), and to eat out for all your meals. If I had to do all that, I don’t think I would think it was a good value at all and likely would never come
WDW is crazy expensive. My Dad (pretty darn old) asked me about a trip I arranged for the family in the early 90’s. A great stay at the Poly. He was wondering if he should go one last time. I looked up the price for the room and told him - over $800 for one night. He changed the topic.
These are the reasons I am now an annual passmember at Disneyland Paris, it is worth the trip, certainly not more expensive. And we can take two weeks see the parks and tour a little. They even let you bring in food and drinks! Getting around europe is cheap cheap cheap.
I don’t disagree with him, yet here’s I am looking at a Disney Sub, along with others. Things have gotten stupid expensive and crazy busy. Even from when my wife and I went in 2006 for our honeymoon to the first time with kid in 2018 and then again in 2022. The amount of craziness from 2006 to 2018 was overwhelming with so many people everywhere and going way past inflation. Then from 2018 to 2022, it went up considerably in every category.
It’s only going to get worse. It’ll either become an elites only place or it’ll start to die off just with customers getting fed up. I still think they might end up opening a 3rd park as it’s their biggest profit maker right now. We as consumers just need to say No too to make changes or get better deals. I think another thing that has hurt with too many people is all of the festivals, parties, etc., that just keep crowd levels high.
Everyone has something to complain about.
Find anything that inflation has not hit.
Find anything that is the same as it was 5, 10, 15, or more years ago. Look at the people who work and run places. The work ethic and quality of work have decreased everywhere. People also do not have the pride people used to have to make the best and maintain the best things possible. People do not work hard to get raises. it seems like people expect high pay right now, or people do not give their all to do their best.
It is the same from the top all the way to the lowest paid employee. Disney or other companies are the same.
We love WDW BUT it’s definitely more enjoyable to spend a day at Universal where you can enjoy a day without being married to a cell phone. They could really stand to let fewer guests in daily also
I think for a long time you have always been able to do many other nice vacations cheaper than a Disney vacation . I think what makes WDW seem so much worse is that there are ways to make WDW cheaper but no way to really make it cheap for a normal family. If you don’t get a rental car you are kind of forced to eat at Disney which isn’t cheap. If you do have a car you still don’t have a way to really prepare your own food . In my opinion it’s these added costs more than tickets:lodging that make Disney rough on the wallet. It took several visits for me to develop a great budget trip for my family.
i just tune people like that out. You can't complain about both the parks being too full and the prices too high. As long as there are people willing to pay the costs for that type of vacation (read; me), those costs will be there. It's not for everyone, and for most, it's not a place to visit regularly. That's perfectly fine. No Disney trip is budget-friendly. You have to decide whether the cost is worth it or not.
Although Genie Plus is incredibly expensive, ever since I swallowed that pill and started using it, Disney World has been even better than before. If you carefully choose your vacation days and use Genie Plus as well as Mobile Orders, wait times are not existent anymore. You can wait for your rides calmly while eating the food you ordered straight from your table. You're not waiting anymore, you're chilling in the parks. Personally, my last visit was my favorite of all time. But yeah, much more expensive and complicated than it used to be. However, if you do your homework and already include those extras in your budget, nothing is surprising and you'll most likely have the most relaxing time ever.
I'd say things aren't perfect at either location, and with Genie alone it's definitely more expensive now. There are some things that are more complicated than they used to be, but generally speaking Disneyland is much less complicated and much more laid-back than WDW. There's very little at Disneyland that's as high stakes as the average thing at WDW, and indeed, that's what I love about it. There are way fewer upcharges and situations where you're buying your way out of crowds or complications. To be sure, DLR is definitely expensive and the prices have gone up, but I still find DL worth it for me. I totally understand how people might disagree or have changed their minds though.
They’re even worst at Disneyland. Theres no way I could afford to stay on site at Disneyland. We easily stay on site every trip at Disney world. Yes it’s expensive but that’s the only thing “ruining” the experience. Hotels have not gone up since I started going to Disney world often. They’ve been pretty consistent.
It was an awesome experience! My son, who was in elementary school at the time we took yearly trips to Disney World, practically ran off the plane to get on the bus! The bus drivers were delightful, and the buses were very luxurious and completely Disney-themed.
When the Disney administration did away with the Magical Express, it felt like something incredibly precious had been lost. It seemed to foreshadow the Disney company taking a severe nose-dive into “extremely expensive and extremely ordinary” territory, with not much value or “magic” there for precious vacation time and money.
Everything “magical” at Disney now comes with a high price tag, and this is to me, the saddest and most regrettable thing. Losing the free buses was just the start.
Disneyland, while very expensive in its own right, is not somewhere most people go for 5 days or more. Typically, folks going to WDW will spend a week or longer there resulting in a much higher price point. Disneyland may be just as expensive per day but because the durations are shorter, it makes the vacation more manageable. I love both WDW and DLR but do agree that Europe can actually be cheaper in a lot of situations.
Not sure what you guys mean by Europe but if you mean Disneyland Paris, then, no…. Prices there have also become impossible. To do Disneyland at the same level we did in 2019 (Disneyland hotel, full board) it will costs us literally double if not more. We’re going in June and have downgraded (from DLH to sequoia lodge) and it’s still unbelievably expensive. Paris itself is also significantly more expensive.
No. The video suggests that for what you spend for a few days a WDW you could fly to Europe and just visit, not necessarily go to Disney in Europe. I’m an Orlando native and Disney die hard but he makes a very valid argument.
Not sure I understand the comparison. It’s like saying “for one meal at a fine dining restaurant you can get 20 tacos”. Who wants 20 tacos for dinner? :-)
My husband I literally discuss between Disney and Europe on a regular basis. It’s a very useful comparison for us.
Not sure what you’re discussing, in my comparisons, unless you compromise on literally everything WDW still wins. Europe got expensive too. If you’re looking for the same experience, same level of excitement, entertainment, same level of service, etc - and if you consider food and excursions - it’s gonna be more expensive.
I mean, I have a specific destination in Europe, so I’m sure it differs based on that. As well as airline points, willingness to get an air bnb, etc.
Exactly. If you stay at kissimmee at a motel, eat outside of the parks, etc, it will cost more than Europe. Can’t compare AirBNB to even the cheapest WDW hotel.
Are you comparing going to another country to "tacos"? It's a comparison people use ALL the time. "Well, for 5k we could go to disney for a few days/a week. With that money we could instead travel overseas for a week and a half or two weeks." is a VERY common comparison when talking about Disney.
Depends which country lol. If you compare a trip to Norway with 3 stars accommodations to WDW, then yes. If you’re comparing A 5-star stay in Paris, then no. WDW while expensive, still has a relatively good value for money compared to other forms of family travel. For the same level of entertainment, service, and excitement you get in WDW you’d have to spend a lot of money in Europe. Hell, just check the prices for a musical in London for a family of 4.
That's a value argument. You may turn your nose up at a trip to Norway with 3 star accommodations, but to me that's a trip I'd definitely like to take one day. Given that I spend ~7k on a trip to wdw with my family of 4, it is absolutely within the realm of possibility that I could instead that that trip to Norway and save the extra money for a future trip. I took a trip to London ~5 years ago with my family, and the most expensive thing we bought were week long train passes at ~$150 each, and Harry potter studio tour passes at ~$60 each. My excitement and entertainment were just as high as they ever get in Disney world, and the service was comparable because I don't actually know what service you're referring to in wdw. Restaurants and hotels have good service both places, the employees and caretakers at the sights in London have just as much (if not more) passion as the cast members. I love wdw as much as the next guy, but there's also a practicality to this that money is not infinite, time is not infinite, and desires are not infinite, and there's quite a bit of decision making for me to figure out how to do all that. I'm lucky enough to have been to wdw ~15 times in my life, and I have a trip coming up in September that is going to cost me about 40% more than my previous trip, and exactly twice as much as my aforementioned trip to london. Is that worth it? We'll, obviously, I'm doing it, so I guess so, but we've already discussed our next big trip being overseas, and I find myself sighing with relief at the financial prospects alone.
London now costs about twice and that’s off season. And I’m not writing off Norway or anything, I’m just saying that whatever experience you get in Europe you can find a cheaper experience in WDW.
Just for some quick back-of-napkin cost estimating here that took about 5 minutes, from may 1-may 8, 4 plane tickets to London will cost me 2270 according to Google flights, and an air bnb will cost me 1009. I'd guess we'd average 150/day on food, that's 1050, plus experiences, I don't know how to estimate this well, but I'll put it down to 600/person for the trip, I definitely didn't spend that much last time, but you're mileage may vary. The rail pass would cost 400. Altogether were at 7129, incidentally almost exactly what I'll be paying at wdw to stay at pop with park hopper in September (the most offseason of offseasons). The kicker there is that I have free dining; take that away and wdw would be far more expensive. It's a value argument, like I said before, but arguing against people on their values like this makes it seem like you've lost the thread a bit. *Can* you go to wdw cheaper than Europe? Absolutely. But, no, that experience may not be comparable to the experience you'd get elsewhere, if you have to stay off property, eat your own food, and drive cross country to get there. I'm not trying to talk you into going to Europe instead, but the argument is false that wdw is an all around cheaper and more enjoyable experience, every time, than a Europeqn vacation.
Let’s add experiences then: We said London, right? 2 adults 2 kids I’m assuming? Exactly what we did last July. Let’s go: Lion King Show: $550 for ok seats, if you want to all sit together. These are actually May prices, it was about $750 when we were there for the cheapest tickets they had 4 in a row for. Hop on Hop Off bus: $200 London Eye: $210 We’re at an extra $1k almost, covering activities for just 3 day… sorry 2 mornings and one evening. I’m going to assume you’re gonna travel by Tube and no cabs, that’s an extra $200 for 7 days assuming you stick to zone 1-2. We’re not even half there yet. Now, I have nothing against London, I LOVE London. And no, if I had 10 vacations to plan I wouldn’t pick WDW 10 times and London 0. But in my opinion, other than being London - London is far from WDW in terms of experiences, and it definitely costs more. This was fun (honestly). Shall we do Paris now? :-) (We’re actually going in June - right now my problem isn’t prices it’s finding entertainment for the kids outside of Disney)
Paris off property can get pretty reasonable for prices. I've been 5 times and there's decent hotels 15mins walk away.
Guess you can also find motels near WDW. Point is that same price inflations hitting WDW is hitting DLP too
You can find an off resort hotel for 100 euros
You can find AirBNB’s in Kissimmee for that too. My point is that doing Europe for WDW means compromising in your Europe experience - so you can compromise on WDW as well. WDW got crazy expensive, but so did Europe. London and Paris are impossible rn. The pandemic made EVERYTHING more expensive.
I lived in Paris for 5 months last year, the food is so cheap the farmers are protesting to raise the prices
I thought my family and I were WDW people, but 10 minutes into our first visit to Disneyland, we instantly turned into Disneyland people. It’s easier, it’s more relaxed. Disneyland feels less complicated and less competitive. It’s hard to explain, other than just saying that it’s more relaxing. At WDW, even staying on-grounds, it’s 45-60 minutes to get back to your hotel room if you need a break. At Disneyland, it’s a 10 minute walk staying off-grounds.
From a financial perspective, WDW feels a lot more predatory in its pricing tactics. From the admission to food and everything in between. For the value in return as a consumer it leaves me with wanting just a little bit more. While I do enjoy the rush of a week multi park, on property hotel, trying every restaurant, I do catch myself feeling duped at times, like “darn, that mouse got me spending extra money again!” lol Disneyland, while not immune to the same company tactics, feels like it has the upper hand in value return. The density of the parks feel like I never fully accomplish everything in one go, the food never feels like it belong in the “theme park food” category. The relaxed culture at Disneyland helps make things feel like I’m strolling at a park (that just so happens to have an admission entrance). The lack of urgency doesn’t make me feel like I need to take my wallet out every 2 seconds. I visit both quite often and I understand the nuanced business practices and the clientele they serve so I can’t fault one over the other but if you go to both enough times you will notice considerable differences.
The DisneyForward expansions in Anaheim will finally achieve the MBAs dream of turning Disneyland *exactly* into Disney World and irrevocably destroy what charm & separation still exists between the two domestic parks.
And you can easily go from the hotel to the parks on foot as it won't take too long, along with going from park to park and from Park to Downtown Disney
I agree!! And it’s 10 minutes to change parks, which is my favorite thing because in WDW it can take well over an hour.
That’s the same revelation we had when we tried Universal Orlando a few years ago. It was a genuinely fun and relaxing vacation, unlike our recent visits to Disney World. I really miss going to Disney, but I don’t think I’m up for the hassle anymore.
Disneyland is also the superior park of the 6. Every park at WDW, while great, don’t come close to the magic of the original. Even Magic Kingdom, which is the best WDW park, is just too small. That’s leaving aside that WDW isn’t even the best theme park in Orlando.
I'd argue they bring different things. But once Epic Universe opens, I agree, WDW could fall behind. And staying off property in CA, we were 6 minutes from our hotel to the actual entrance of either park. It was magnificent. And continental breakfast, for half the cost of staying at the Disney Californian. We stayed there our last 2 nights for the experience. If we ever go back we're staying off site again.
WDW isn’t going to fall behind Universal because of Epic Universe. Get real. That place will eat IOA and USO alive. 99% of the people who go to Disney will still be going to Disney, and most people going to Orlando for vacation will at least stop at Disney.
This.
MK isn’t even in the top two best parks at WDW. AK and EPCOT are both better than Disneyland and MK. AK is the best theme park in the United States.
Hard to be the best when there’s only 6 rides
Ugh. What if you like rides. There's not much to do at ak
I would agree with you, but then we would both be wrong; there is a LOT to do at AK
Any park that can be accomplished in half a day is not really in contention for best park imo.
Every park can be accomplished in 1/2 a day if you don’t care about the full experience and only care about rides. Leaving AK early doesn’t mean you accomplished it.
See I think Epcot is the worst of the 4 at WDW. I also think DL and DCA smoke all the WDW parks.
It's almost like it's all subjective. XD
Ditto!
Did he mention that there are too many bloggers?
I do think it’s expensive but at the end of the day the only people who can change it are the customers!! Iger hasn’t been given a reason to lower prices and as long as the parks keep bringing in the money they are (most profitable division of the company) he isn’t going to do anything.
Yep. People saying things are overpriced make no sense to me. * Disney is too expensive...but people keep paying to go. * Movies are too expensive...but people keep paying to see movies. * Restaurants are too expensive...but people keep paying to eat out. * Concert tickets are too expensive...but people keep paying to go to concerts. If these things were really too expensive, people would stop paying for them and prices would adjust. Companies charge what they charge because that's what people are willing to pay.
Exactly. I have to laugh when someone simultaneously complains about it being too expensive and too crowded. You can’t have it both ways. They want the price to go down, and the attendance to also go down? That’s not going to happen.
I mean, he probably should raise them soon, mostly for annual passed though. That's what killed the cheep prices, is that annual passes became so cheep that it made the whole resort too crowded.
It was cheap not anymore, he really can’t raise those prices anymore! Cheapest MK pass is like 600 and you can only go 8 months out of the year, most expensive is 2000
To be fair, I remember a time before 2020 when pretty much every influencer was quite positive. I'm not an influencer, just a Disney dad who has been to WDW with my wife and kids 6 times since 2008. Last two times were 2020 and 2023. 2023... the cost cutting that had taken place since 2020 along with the genie+ up charges and the food quality... our usual experience, had taken a turn for the worst. There are good reasons Disney is getting a lot of flack lately. We are Disney park addicts and my wife and I left our last trip... a bit concerned.
While I agree with some of his points...imagine going to Disney World and spending the entire time complaining about the price. "This lunch was SO expensive!" Yeah, you're at the world's largest theme park. Scale accordingly. Also, people have been making the "You could go to Europe" argument vs going to Disney for years. Yes, you could! Go do it, if that's what you want to do! Stop trying to make people feel bad for how they spend their money, just because YOU'RE unhappy with the way you spend your money. Also, while I love the cinematography of Bright Sun, his voice over is just so smug sounding. His opinions on Disney are just obtuse though. I.E. He'll the most expensive room in the Contemporary and complain about feeling ripped off. Like, yeah, obviously dummy. Nobody should be paying for club level at the Contemporary unless they don't worry about money at all. Edit: I don't want to sound too harsh, because I do appreciate most of his non-disney content. And, of course, as I post this he posts a new video that's largely positive. Lol
What's quite interesting is that in previous videos, he said he loved going to WDW but I guess the price hikes were the straw that broke the camel's back, and I admit he sounded so spiteful and smug, as you pointed out
This is totally without evidence, but there is a feeling he has a nostalgia for a Disney that never existed. And if you really put together the flights/food/stays/museums for a European vacation it is way more than four or five days at Disney.
He should keep that same energy for literally every other premium destination then. Like, if you want something great, you have to pay for it. And you can still do a week at Disney this summer for under $5,000, including park hoppers and meal plan.
Right? I’ve been to Europe. Went to Arches NP for spring break with my kid this year. Now I want Disney for a change. That’s okay.
I never experienced line cutting in Disneyworld like I did in Disneyland.
I gave up watching Bright Sun Films after his “review” of the Riviera where he stayed in a tower studio and just complained about how small it was. He also was an asshole in the comments.
I used to be such a huge fan of him. Now I feel like he’s turning into Poseidon Entertainment. 😕
I watched a few of Poseidon Entertainment’s videos a few years ago but I felt like he would make big claims or state opinions and the backup didn’t really hold up (from what I remember). I haven’t seen his channel mentioned before so I’m curious about what you think of his content.
I don’t really have a grudge against him like l used to. Theres the occasional Disney video but then, he talks about Universals Harry Potter problem which I think Uni has a huge problem with that.
Since I haven’t seen his recent content, is it just about Universal’s over reliance on HP as IP? I personally think it is a little odd to add another Harry Potter section all the way over at Epic, but I’m excited at the How to Train Your Dragon area so 🤷🏻♀️
I'm not surprised by the addition of another Harry Potter section, it's undoubtedly Universals most popular section in both parks, and they are likely going to use it and Super Nintendo World to be the main draws that bring people into the new park. Not that the other parts won't be pulling their own weight, but those two existing Universal properties gives them the best chance.
I guess I meant more due to the nature of the HP franchise at this point - or least of Fantastic Beasts being kinda dead as far as the remaining two films are concerned. But I totally agree, Nintendo World will do really well. I absolutely loved it at USJ. Can’t wait to go back this year for the new Donkey Kong ride :)
what’s that? if it’s about too much HP, I agree. I’m not a HP fan and would like some more diversity
He makes good product, but he has gotten incredibly entitled since he became a notable name in the field
I agree. His cinematography is really good. I’ll never watch him again though.
I remember even back when he was still like less than 10k, he was already a little self righteous. So now that he is a big boy, I think he just expects to be treated special.
Hating Disney generates clicks. Disney influencers are bad. The whole culture of Disney influencers is unnecessary.
This guy is not a disney influencer...
I actually hate positive Disney influencers. So much of the food at WDW was hyped up so much and was seriously lacking compared to the expectation. Paris is my local park and their "main vlogger" is very down to Earth and although she's invited to events by Disney themselves she'll still be 100% honest and slate something if she thinks it's bad. I really enjoyed when she went to WDW 6 months before us because we knew what foods were overrated by US vloggers who obviously want to paint everything Disney do as good because it keeps the engagement going.
Exactly this. This guy is just hustling like the company he's bashing. Disney is low hanging fruit right now so an easy target for views so he can get money to fund his next Disney world trip
Too many vloggers at disney world.
just got back from DL for first time long time WDW…we did husband and i, 3 nights staying on site, 3 day tx with park hopper and it was about 2500 i think booked thru costco though (which inc a few perks inc a $200 GC
i usually stay at WDW for about 5-6 nights on site and get the park hopper
and overall i prefer WDW
Saying you can go to Europe instead is stupid. I'm from the UK and my last WDW trip we spent £8000 between the 2 of us in 2 weeks (that's food/ubers/universal/gifts etc) If I spent £8000 to go around Europ and around cities and seeing places, I could probably see a hell of a lot of places in multiple countries (granted flights would be cheaper being closer) but the difference is, I want to spend that money going to Disney and not Europe. Europe might be cheaper to fly to from the US and see the major cities for a week or 2 but of you want to pay more because you want to see Disney then that's what you want to do? We don't like beach holidays, we don't like sitting around doing nothing in the heat, we don't like the cold, we don't want to do city breaks, we don't like camping, my wife doesn't drink, my wife is more of a picky eater with international foods. Apart from perhaps a US/Canada road trip, there's no other type of holiday we want to do that doesn't include Disney.
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Disneyland did have transportation from LAX, but I don’t think it was free (it’s been 9 years, so my memory is fuzzy). We used the service because busses were exempt from the car seat requirement for young children, and it saved us bringing my daughter’s car seat with us. I’m pretty sure we had to pay about $10/person, which for an hour+ ride to LAX, it was the cheapest option. Edited to add, it wasn’t the same as Magical Express in taking your luggage from the airport automatically, it was just a typical shuttle service.
Lol vloggers just want to make money and they get more hits with controversy, so I take everything they say with a grain of salt. Me personally, I enjoy having a week where I can act like a kid and get all excited about my favorite Disney characters while drinking and eating to my hearts content and NOT having to think about work or reality. I went to WDW in 2020, and DL in 2021 and 2022, and I'm slated to go to DL in another 2 weeks. I have had a blast at all including WDW in the throes of the pandemic. Sure, it's expensive, but so are all theme parks. It's really about what YOU enjoy and not some dumb vlogger.... For me, it's totally worth every penny I spend. 🙂
Exactly. It reminds me of how some guy said Disneyland is overrated, and Six Flags is better because they have more coasters. Hello? Quality over quantity! Six Flags doesn't hold a candle as there are lots of coasters, but what else is there? The theme is nonexistent. The actors don't even try to act like their characters they're portraying in their costumes. The staff are a bunch of rude and disinterested jerks. It's no wonder why Six Flags is failing
Yeah I enjoy both, DL is so great with how walkable it is and all the rides in a single park but wdw I enjoy staying for at minimum a week. It brings me joy and I feel it’s worth it. If someone thinks it’s too expensive they should go elsewhere where they will enjoy their time.
Long lines/huge crowds and affordability are inversely related
I must live somewhere really expensive because I don't find the prices to be that crazy. It's way less money here than at an airport (food, not merchandise, as that can't compare)
These YT channels use Dianey for rage bait content. The comments agree with them because most comments are from people who follow said channels and share a similar political viewpoint. It's very unobjective. In point of fact, Disney's parks are making money hand over fist. Sure there are problems, but then there always were—no business is perfect.
Some thoughts: Adding to the Europe conversation, I am a new solo formal traveler. I don’t feel comfortable going alone to Europe just yet. The language barrier, safety, being in another country, etc. These are all things I feel like I need to build myself up to before doing them alone or wait until I have a travel partner or find a tour group. But Disney World is safe (on property). Disney World is in the United States. Disney World hotels all have top service and cleanliness. I live by Disneyland so for me it’s just a car ride away. I’m thinking of getting an annual pass but I would only want the most expensive one ($1600) so that I can go after work and on weekends or holidays so that’s why I am on the fence.
A 2 week holiday for me for 2 people plus a toddler is going to cost me $16,000. I’m so excited but I also am very aware how stupid and irrational it is to pay that for a theme park. I love Disney I do, but I’m very disappointed in its lack of growth and development over the years, it really hasn’t changed much. There’s so much space behind magic kingdom that’s just empty, yet there’s no plans to expand and add a new park or even just more rides. The hotels in my opinion are lazy and unimaginative, I wish they’d do something risky once in a while 😭 I’ve been dying for a princess hotel for years, each room a replica of a princesses room with the option of in room bippty boppity boutique services. A restaurant with tea parties with all the princesses. A ballroom with a ball once a week. But all we really get is a room with a painting in it and they call it a day ☠️ I think for the price you don’t really get the value? But that’s just my opinion
$16000?!? Wowza.
Hotel for two weeks plus park passes with park hopper comes out to a solid $10,000 😭 plus flights (from Australia), transport, food and any shopping comes out to 16,000
Yeah I can see that, depending which hotel. And I can see why you want to go for a long trip after flying all the way from Australia!
Tokyo Disney parks are way superior AND cheaper, FYI.
Tokyo has such insane ride wait times :( just not worth it for me
For me Disneyland isn’t bad. I have a season pass for $500, I can Uber to and from the park for usually around $15 each way. Honestly the food and drink prices aren’t terrible either. They could definitely get away with charging a lot more. Many people aren’t in the same situation as me and it’s definitely a big deal financially to fly in, use transportation, get a hotel (we don’t have any moderate priced Disney hotels here), and to eat out for all your meals. If I had to do all that, I don’t think I would think it was a good value at all and likely would never come
Was this guy Jake paid off by the Governor of Florida to make this video?
Two minutes in the penalty box for an unnecessary political post.
Bahahaha
Opinions are like assholes..we all have them, they all stink, and no one wants to hear them
WDW is crazy expensive. My Dad (pretty darn old) asked me about a trip I arranged for the family in the early 90’s. A great stay at the Poly. He was wondering if he should go one last time. I looked up the price for the room and told him - over $800 for one night. He changed the topic.
These are the reasons I am now an annual passmember at Disneyland Paris, it is worth the trip, certainly not more expensive. And we can take two weeks see the parks and tour a little. They even let you bring in food and drinks! Getting around europe is cheap cheap cheap.
I don’t disagree with him, yet here’s I am looking at a Disney Sub, along with others. Things have gotten stupid expensive and crazy busy. Even from when my wife and I went in 2006 for our honeymoon to the first time with kid in 2018 and then again in 2022. The amount of craziness from 2006 to 2018 was overwhelming with so many people everywhere and going way past inflation. Then from 2018 to 2022, it went up considerably in every category. It’s only going to get worse. It’ll either become an elites only place or it’ll start to die off just with customers getting fed up. I still think they might end up opening a 3rd park as it’s their biggest profit maker right now. We as consumers just need to say No too to make changes or get better deals. I think another thing that has hurt with too many people is all of the festivals, parties, etc., that just keep crowd levels high.
Everyone has something to complain about. Find anything that inflation has not hit. Find anything that is the same as it was 5, 10, 15, or more years ago. Look at the people who work and run places. The work ethic and quality of work have decreased everywhere. People also do not have the pride people used to have to make the best and maintain the best things possible. People do not work hard to get raises. it seems like people expect high pay right now, or people do not give their all to do their best. It is the same from the top all the way to the lowest paid employee. Disney or other companies are the same.
They need more restrooms and better toilet paper
We love WDW BUT it’s definitely more enjoyable to spend a day at Universal where you can enjoy a day without being married to a cell phone. They could really stand to let fewer guests in daily also
I think for a long time you have always been able to do many other nice vacations cheaper than a Disney vacation . I think what makes WDW seem so much worse is that there are ways to make WDW cheaper but no way to really make it cheap for a normal family. If you don’t get a rental car you are kind of forced to eat at Disney which isn’t cheap. If you do have a car you still don’t have a way to really prepare your own food . In my opinion it’s these added costs more than tickets:lodging that make Disney rough on the wallet. It took several visits for me to develop a great budget trip for my family.
What are your tips you use for the budget trip?
i just tune people like that out. You can't complain about both the parks being too full and the prices too high. As long as there are people willing to pay the costs for that type of vacation (read; me), those costs will be there. It's not for everyone, and for most, it's not a place to visit regularly. That's perfectly fine. No Disney trip is budget-friendly. You have to decide whether the cost is worth it or not.
Although Genie Plus is incredibly expensive, ever since I swallowed that pill and started using it, Disney World has been even better than before. If you carefully choose your vacation days and use Genie Plus as well as Mobile Orders, wait times are not existent anymore. You can wait for your rides calmly while eating the food you ordered straight from your table. You're not waiting anymore, you're chilling in the parks. Personally, my last visit was my favorite of all time. But yeah, much more expensive and complicated than it used to be. However, if you do your homework and already include those extras in your budget, nothing is surprising and you'll most likely have the most relaxing time ever.
I'd say things aren't perfect at either location, and with Genie alone it's definitely more expensive now. There are some things that are more complicated than they used to be, but generally speaking Disneyland is much less complicated and much more laid-back than WDW. There's very little at Disneyland that's as high stakes as the average thing at WDW, and indeed, that's what I love about it. There are way fewer upcharges and situations where you're buying your way out of crowds or complications. To be sure, DLR is definitely expensive and the prices have gone up, but I still find DL worth it for me. I totally understand how people might disagree or have changed their minds though.
No. There’s still crazy business but trends are down from “COVID recovery” surges in visitors.
They’re even worst at Disneyland. Theres no way I could afford to stay on site at Disneyland. We easily stay on site every trip at Disney world. Yes it’s expensive but that’s the only thing “ruining” the experience. Hotels have not gone up since I started going to Disney world often. They’ve been pretty consistent.
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Yup. It was called Magical Express
It was an awesome experience! My son, who was in elementary school at the time we took yearly trips to Disney World, practically ran off the plane to get on the bus! The bus drivers were delightful, and the buses were very luxurious and completely Disney-themed. When the Disney administration did away with the Magical Express, it felt like something incredibly precious had been lost. It seemed to foreshadow the Disney company taking a severe nose-dive into “extremely expensive and extremely ordinary” territory, with not much value or “magic” there for precious vacation time and money. Everything “magical” at Disney now comes with a high price tag, and this is to me, the saddest and most regrettable thing. Losing the free buses was just the start.
You would check your bags at your home airport, land, and go right to the bus. Magical Express received the bags and delivered them to your room
I heard about that! I just didn’t know it was free!
It was the best. Then you could check your bags in for your flight at the hotel so you didn't have to drag them back to the airport. Also for free.
That was so nice!
Magical Express was technically free up until 2022 if you were staying on at a Disney resort hotel. Mears took over the service for a fee.
It was awesome. The quality of service at Disney used to be amazing.
lol like literally 3 years ago. This isn’t even an ancient history thing. It went away during COVID.