Blame it on my sudden lack of Disneyland visits. Blame it on the fact that my apartment is surrounded by inches of snow. Blame it on the reality that in spite of those things I still need to write a weekly blog about Disney, but I am so ready for a Walt Disney World vacation it’s not even funny.
Thus the other day I started pricing out how much a trip down to Orlando would cost, seeing as I’ve only ever visited while staying at a friend’s place and using my Annual Passport or a Cast Member’s Main Gate for admission. Yes, it’s true, I’ve never even (to my memory) stayed on property at WDW.
As you may have already guessed I’m now sporting a band-aid on the bottom of my chin due to an injury I sustained when my jaw dropped at the sight of resort package prices. Fun fact: most nights at the now-inferior-to-its-former-self Polynesian cost more than a month’s rent in my two-bedroom apartment (including cable and internet).
Despite this disturbing detail being revealed to me, somehow it just made me want to go even more (though maybe at a moderate or value resort). Of course rereading The Thinking Fan’s Guide to Walt Disney World only served to heighten my craving further, making me wonder why I torture myself like this.
All of this coincides with the inevitable announcement that Disney is set to raise theme park admission yet again. Anyone who is surprised by this should probably have their driver’s licenses revoked considering they’re inability to see things coming. Every year Twitter floods with angry messages aimed in Disney’s direction and calling them out on their corporate greed. What would Walt have thought?
This is always my least favorite time of year for social media as a result, though it did come early this year presumably to capitalize on the ever-elongating Spring Break season instead of the typical summer hike. No one ever said that Disney was going to be cheap. However, the company has made a genuine effort to make the experience a value.
Truthfully, if I don’t feel like spending $700 on a room at Poly I don’t have to — it’s not required for me to enjoy the parks (even though I would love the easy monorail access and Aloha service). Walt Disney World offers a multitude of more reasonable priced hotels, appropriately referred to as “value” that offer just that. This isn’t a commercial, it’s just reality.
I realize (now more than ever) that not everyone has ability to crash on the couch of an Orlando native in order to afford a WDW vacation. I’m also well aware the adding kids to the equation raises the price tag dramatically — something I don’t have to worry about for some time. But in the face of the annual backlash they’re sure to receive, I’d again love to appeal to your reasonable side and remind you that, when done right, a Disney Parks visit is worth every penny.