Thanks:)

rizzo--Yes, many of the hotels were full quite a while ago. When we had to change our dates it was tough to find a place. At least the weather is better now than during the summer! Thanks for the Friday warning! We will still be at Cocoa Beach during the day though. Then will head over to the Boardwalk Inn for the rest of our stay.

Keep fingers crossed that the launch goes as planned! A friend is an astroanut, and he invited us to this (his) launch...so we are really excited about this!

What I hate about it is that there are no discounts for off season or incentives, except for area lodging and airline prices. I still love WDW for certain things, but I think a family cruise vacation is a much better deal. I hate paying all that for the parking too, btw!

We were there for six days in October, and other than the admission tickets, I didn't think it was that pricey. The only food we bought were two huge turkey legs and a few slushies for my son. All other meals we ate cheaply off-site or brought in a bag. We also brought along our own $1 rain ponchos.

BTW, we stayed at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club on International Drive. What a fun hotel for families! Not only were the units beautiful, they had numerous activities for the kids. Our favorites were the evening dive-in movies (the kids can swim while watching a movie on a big screen), pool-side band, and an animal lecture with an opporunity to pet the little critters.

After six days of WDW, though, I'm ready for a laid-back vacation!

Jor,
If you go outside the park at Disney you can also find cheaper food and lodging. I was saying that the food/drinks/lodging at the ski resort itself (just like disney) are extremely expensive. When you are at the resort you are stuck with their prices (just like disney). While skiing you have to either 1.) eat their overpriced food 2.) bring you own food, or 3.) leave the resort for cheaper food (just like Disney). There are hundreds of hotel rooms that are a lot cheaper adjacent to disney property as well. And no one was comparing the real mountains to fake ones, duh. People go to Disney for what it is and people go skiing for what it is. I was just saying that the prices at a ski resort are comparable to prices at Disney. I have been skiing many times and I have been to Disney many times and in my experience they are very similar. And please don't start comparing real to fake. I don't think anyone goes to disney thinking Mickey is a real mouse and if they do then they have a bigger problem.

I personally agree with jor.

We never took our kids to WDW. The whole thing just seemed like a huge rip off.

And now that I have taken my kids to Europe, I'm glad we never spent the money for WDW.

By the way, if anybody asked my kids, they would tell you that in NO WAY do they feel deprived that we never did the WDW thing. (They are 19 and 17 now.) They were very happy with our rather modest lake vacations and the occasional ski trip.

I think for a lot of families they either feel like it's some kind of weird rite of passage, a pilgrimage, or they can't think of any other vacation!

Of course if you've got money to burn, or you just love it, well, why not?

This post makes me wonder why more people don't take their kids to DisneyLand in the context of a California vacation. It's still expensive, but only for one day in the context of a whole lot of other things to see.

Obviously people think strongly in both ways about WDW and considering how very expensive other amusement parks or even places like the Dells, or any resort town can be- I just don't understand it, this strong animosity towards WDW experiences overall.

gmoney, you asked a question and I answered it and explained why. I really don't like a come-back like "dah". If you don't want an honest answer don't ask the question. We can't help it if you do not get the answer you wanted.

well, jorr, let's be honest here, your answers to gmoney's were just as "duh"-like as hers were back to you. Really, what does real snow versus fake snow have to do with the idea of price comparison?
Suggesting that there are various price ranges outside of the ski resort? Well, same is true at Disney. I guess you just didn't get the direct comparisons she was making. This isn't a question of whether people like a ski resort better than Disney -- but rather a comment that the price argument could be very similar.

I think most tourist places these days are expensive. An all inclusive to the Dominican Republic at christmas will cost 2500.00 a person for 1 week. For a family of 4 that is$10,000.00 A room in Tofino during the summer will be 300.00. Airfare alone to Paris will cost upwards of $4000.00(for four people). I guess the important thing is did you and your family have a good time? Was it worth it or do you think your kids would of had more fun visiting the louvre and eiffel tower?

<< ...hotels in Europe can be gotten at bargain prices ( she just returned, stayed in Amsterdam for 180 E a night..) >>


Sorry, but unless she's talking about very a nice hotel I don't think €180 is that great at all. Shopping around using online sites like hotels.nl and channels.nl can yield rooms in decent places at half that. Standard rates for a single or small double at my favorite hotel, Ambassade, start at €185 (breakfast extra; and their rooms are never discounted as far as I know) and it is a very nice place - but if saving money is a priority then there are lots of other fairly nice hotels to be had for much less.

bluestar, the conversation is about high costs. The Ambassade (which I've stayed at three times) is a very fine deluxe hotel. The price of 185 euro equals about $244. You can't get the Belvedere or the Milford Plaza (both many levels below the Ambassade in quality) in New York for anywhere near that low. The point being made was that compared to some places in the US, Europe IS a bargain. That is one good example. Sure there are cheaper places -- that wasn't the point, I don't think.

Hi Neo!!
bluestar-
Actually, she did stay at the Ambassade, a courtyard suite.
She also stayed at the Hotel Welcome in Brussels and The Danube in Paris.

The Danube..... sigh... :">

I think it may have been you who first recommended that place to me, Scarlett.

:) Well, if it was, I am glad you liked it !
This was her first time at the Danube, she stayed at the Lutece before.
She was happy with it too ~

I don't get comparing a ski vacation to Disney, either. Just b/c one type of vacation is expensive (and historically always has been, although Vail takes it to a new level) doesn't make it OK for other industries to follow. If they can, more power to them. But there is no way Disney charges such outrageous prices b/c they need to; they do it b/c they can.

Some families gladly pay it, and that's up to them. I've added up the cost for a few days at Disney and decided, no way, we're going out west. It's the same with these new (to us out east, anyway) indoor water parks like the Great Wolf Lodge. Lines, expensive food and super expensive lodging. Yes, it costs a lot to maintain a water park, but we have a much, much more pleasant time visiting a "real" water park like Water World in Denver or Raging Waters in CA.

I'll never forget looking for a T-shirt for my toddler son at Disney. The (cheaply made) T-shirt with Tigger he wanted was $42(!) I later saw the same Tshirt in the Disney store at my local mall for $18. You know they are making a profit at $18, so why charge OVER double except b/c they can.

"But there is no way Disney charges such outrageous prices b/c they need to; they do it b/c they can."

Huh? Name a single "for profit" business in the free world that is successful whose name you can't replace for Disney in that statement. Are you suggesting that Disney is a charity and they should just charge enough to break even? That is probably one of the most outrageously naive statements I've ever read on Fodors! I know of no businesses that purposely don't charge as much as they can for anything. That's what "business" is. They don't even reduce prices because they feel they've made enough profit for one year -- they reduce them in order to sell merchandise -- in other words, they're still charging as much as they can to get rid of the stuff and do business. Pure and simple.

Patrick - there is a HUGE difference b/w making a profit and price gouging.

If you read my post, I said "more power" to the businesses who can raise their prices/rates and get away with it. But there is line when those prices are too high. How much is TOO much profit? That's for the market to decide. Some people, like me, and few posters here, feel that Disney is not a vacation value. Others return every year. To each his own. I don't like feeling ripped off.

I have no idea where you read into my post that I think Disney is a charity. And I know of many businesses that don't charge outrageous prices and still provide a good product at a good price. (But again, a good product at a good price is different to different people.)

Jor,

I did NOT ask for a comparison of Disney to a ski resort. I was asking why people always complain about how expensive Disney is, but not about other comparable destinations. It would be stupid to try to compare one to the other as a destination. My "duh" remark was at your comparison of real mountains to fake mountains, which nobody asked for, and is pretty ridiculous. If you are going to answer questions please answer ones that were actually asked. Its obvious that you do not care for Disney, great don't go.

karens,

Sorry for the double post but I just read your response and am really confused. Your saying that is OK for a ski resort to charge ridiculous prices but not Disney? Why is that? You also accused Disney of price gouging. Price gouging is when you put exhorbitant prices on "needs" like gas, food, lodging in an event like a hurricane. You said "But there is no way Disney charges such outrageous prices b/c they need to; they do it b/c they can."
Why is it OK for a ski resort but not Disney? They are both in business to make the most profit that they can and that the market will bear. Can you please explain to me how one is different from the other? And, don't get me wrong I am not defending Disney I think the prices they charge are crazy. I just don't get how they are different from any other business