Why is Disney so high priced?

[happy traveler69]

Here's an analogy that might explain the difference. I thought of this as I just opened a box of generic store-brand raisin bran for my kid. It started with the box itself - nothing exciting about it - the colors were drab. It was utilitarian - it did its purpose and that's it. When I went to open the top tabs for the first time, the glue had been thoughtlessly applied, such that the tabs didn't pull apart easily. In fact, the last quarter of the tab ripped as I was sliding my finger under it - now I had two interlocking tabs that no longer would aid in closing the box.

 

 

 

Next, the seam of the bag was difficult to pull apart. The raisins? Dry and lifeless - they would take a bit longer to rehydrate with the milk. Several clumps of bran flakes stuck together - I'd have to chop those up with my spoon. Not a big deal, but a sign once again that I wasn't getting "the real deal".

 

 

 

Now how about that box of Kellogg's Raisin Bran ? Colorful box, exciting sunny character on the front, a sturdy well-crafted box top that closes every time, sealing in the flavor. A bag that opens effortlessly, almost unzipping itself. Perfect, broad bran flakes, perfectly plump raisins and TWO scoops guaranteed! Tastes like "the real deal".

 

 

 

Now what's the practical difference between the two? Not much... REALLY close taste... really close presentation. I'd say on a 100 point scale, an 80 (generic) vs. 95 (near-perfection for the name brand). Worth the price difference? You only live once! ;-)

 

 

lol! you are so right! my grandma could never understand store brand items. she wants what she pays for!! "peas are peas" no matter how they one. but she wanted all of her peas to be the same size, so we had to get del monte (DCL). if you just want to eat, get "no frills" white can with red/blue lettering (carnival)! lol

[Shmoo here]

lol! you are so right! my grandma could never understand store brand items. she wants what she pays for!! "peas are peas" no matter how they one. but she wanted all of her peas to be the same size, so we had to get del monte (DCL). if you just want to eat, get "no frills" white can with red/blue lettering (carnival)! lol

 

Reminds me of when I got my first apartment. I bought generic at the local grocery:

 

I found for the most part they were fine. Some weren't quite the same. But I gave them all a try before deciding whether to "settle" for the brand name or not.

[meatloafsfan]

lol! you are so right! my grandma could never understand store brand items. she wants what she pays for!! "peas are peas" no matter how they one. but she wanted all of her peas to be the same size, so we had to get del monte (DCL). if you just want to eat, get "no frills" white can with red/blue lettering (carnival)! lol

 

Maybe not so much in the USA but in Canada, most of those generic items are manufactured by the same company that manufactures the Name Brand item. For instance, Yellow boxed "No Name" cake mix, is actually Duncan Hines cake mix. So you're paying extra just for the name and the picture on the box.

 

For us, DCL is just one more cruise line - yes, there are some things that they do better than others, but I find that with every cruise line. Each line has its plusses and minuses. Depending on what you want for that cruise, DCL may be the perfect fit; on the flip side, if it's something DCL doesn't do well, there are lots of other very good cruise lines that could better meet your needs.

 

If you want Disney characters, an indoor movie theatre, and rotational dining, then yes, DCL is worth the extra money.

If you want waterslides and great burgers, and a comedy club every night then Carnival would be better.

If you want more active pursuits on your cruise (rock climbing, flow rider, ice skating, bumper cars, iFly) then Royal Caribbean is better.

If you want upper class service, great food, and a smaller ship experience, then Oceania or Crystal are better.

Edited December 1, 2015 by meatloafsfan

[davidmbfonz]

Good summary post, Patricia (meatloaf). I noticed we were on the same cruise two weeks ago - I'm writing a trip report right now - will likely take me another week or two to finish.

[Brad1185]

I was delusional of starting to plan a Disney cruise. Then I read of some changes where they are now charging extra for ice cream.

 

Disney can't throw in a scoop of ice cream for the price they charge?

 

So my plans are cancelled for now

[gambit57]

The cheap soft serve ice cream is still free. I think the idea is to have those fancy gourmet type ice creams along with other fancy type sweets for a charge.

 

Soft serve is cheap and easy to store. It comes in giant pouches and the machines combine that mix with milk to make the soft serve. No real labor involved. Fancy ice cream has big tubs, labor to scoop, toppings to keep track of and store, etc. It's a big difference.

 

Kind of like how coffee and soda are free because they're cheap and easy to make vs cappuccino or mixed drinks that have multiple ingredients and steps that need to be made to order.

 

The start of the nickel and dimeing is annoying, but Disney still isn't as bad as other lines. There's really no excuse to charge for soda on a cruise ship. Although I do wonder if DCL gets the soda for free just like the parks do.

[STHCruising]

Let's put this issue into perspective. As the poster above notes, soft serve is still free, and for the ships that have Cabana's (all but the Wonder), there is hard ice cream in the buffet lines, and you can get it in the MDR any time you want it, all for free. What's new and not free, is the specialty ice cream that has been added on the Dream. So, nothing has really been taken away. We are doing a cruise on another line that has a specialty ice cream shop, and it works the same way. Soft serve is free, specialty ice cream is an up charge.

[Ex techie]

The cheap soft serve ice cream is still free. I think the idea is to have those fancy gourmet type ice creams along with other fancy type sweets for a charge.

 

Soft serve is cheap and easy to store. It comes in giant pouches and the machines combine that mix with milk to make the soft serve. No real labor involved. Fancy ice cream has big tubs, labor to scoop, toppings to keep track of and store, etc. It's a big difference.

 

Kind of like how coffee and soda are free because they're cheap and easy to make vs cappuccino or mixed drinks that have multiple ingredients and steps that need to be made to order.

 

The start of the nickel and dimeing is annoying, but Disney still isn't as bad as other lines. There's really no excuse to charge for soda on a cruise ship. Although I do wonder if DCL gets the soda for free just like the parks do.

 

Hi codex,

 

Whilst I respect your opinion that No real labor is required to provide a soft serve ice cream machine for Guest's to use, themselves, I really do think you misunderstand how much labor that takes to keep that facility within USPH guidelines, especially when children use the machines.

The cleaning of the machine needs to be almost constant so that any spills onto the machine or the counter top are are cleaned, the surrounding flooring areas are kept clean by mopping, and refilling the machines.

 

Then the deep cleaning cycle (that is higher than any land restaurant standard they are upheld to), that is needed either during the day if contamination occurs either thru Guests, or insects flying in from the outside in ports, and again at the end of service times.

 

This is not me saying they should charge for soft serve, just that unless you have worked on a ship that has UPSH inspections, and score as highly as DCL do.

 

Disney Fantasy - 100! - 10/03/2015

Disney Dream - 100! - 07/10/2015

Disney Wonder - 99 - 06/04/2015

Disney Magic - 96 - 10/04/2015

 

Score that high are no mean feat, and it takes a hell of a lot of hard work from the crew to get scores so high.

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/inspectionquerytool/inspectionwith100score.aspx

 

So I'm not saying that the pay for outlets are not more labor intensive, just that ice cream + kids + adults + party mood and hot sun = a big mess that needs cleaning up!

 

Let's put this issue into perspective. As the poster above notes, soft serve is still free, and for the ships that have Cabana's (all but the Wonder), there is hard ice cream in the buffet lines, and you can get it in the MDR any time you want it, all for free. What's new and not free, is the specialty ice cream that has been added on the Dream. So, nothing has really been taken away. We are doing a cruise on another line that has a specialty ice cream shop, and it works the same way. Soft serve is free, specialty ice cream is an up charge.

 

The thing I disagree the most with about Venelopes is it's location.

Right next to an entrance/exit to Cabana's on the pool deck.

 

I bet you can you hear the meltdowns down on deck 1 when some kids do not get the ice cream they want at quite a high price ;)

I know on some other ships that pay for ice cream outlets are not so prominently placed.

 

ex techie

Edited December 3, 2015 by Ex techie
forgot the last sentence.

[gambit57]

I've been in food services. I know those machines are a PAIN to clean. However, that's really just on the workers. For the company, it's not that big a deal. And I was responding to the poster on a corporate policy level. On a ground level perspective, yeah, it's tough on the poor worker assigned to it. From Disney's point of view, it's not a big deal. Especially a company like Disney which already has policies and manpower that's more than typical for the industry to keep up maintenance and cleanliness.

 

On a corporate or managerial level, a fancy ice cream and dessert shop is more of a headache, and thus more likely to charge the customer in order to make up the various costs involved. Admittedly, I did talk about the labor of the individual worker, but my main point of view was from a corporate policy/manager level.

 

Hey, it's an internet board. I'm not going to spend the time to make it as clear and well written as a school paper or corporate memo. :)

 

As for the location, I'm not surprised. Disney is known to pull stuff like that. In Disneyland (and I assume at Disney World), the candy shop on Main Street has vents on the exterior walls to pump out smells. The popcorn outdoor vending carts have a fan, with it's own separate switch the cast members have to specifically turn on, which blows the popcorn smell out. If they're going to charge, Disney is going to put it in a highly conspicuous place and find a subtle, but very effective way to draw kids' attention to it.

Edited December 3, 2015 by codex57

[Ex techie]

I've been in food services. I know those machines are a PAIN to clean. However, that's really just on the workers. For the company, it's not that big a deal. And I was responding to the poster on a corporate policy level. On a ground level perspective, yeah, it's tough on the poor worker assigned to it. From Disney's point of view, it's not a big deal. Especially a company like Disney which already has policies and manpower that's more than typical for the industry to keep up maintenance and cleanliness.

 

On a corporate or managerial level, a fancy ice cream and dessert shop is more of a headache, and thus more likely to charge the customer in order to make up the various costs involved. Admittedly, I did talk about the labor of the individual worker, but my main point of view was from a corporate policy/manager level.

 

Hey, it's an internet board. I'm not going to spend the time to make it as clear and well written as a school paper or corporate memo. :)

 

As for the location, I'm not surprised. Disney is known to pull stuff like that. In Disneyland (and I assume at Disney World), the candy shop on Main Street has vents on the exterior walls to pump out smells. The popcorn outdoor vending carts have a fan, with it's own separate switch the cast members have to specifically turn on, which blows the popcorn smell out. If they're going to charge, Disney is going to put it in a highly conspicuous place and find a subtle, but very effective way to draw kids' attention to it.

 

To be fair, when you have staff scooping the ice cream out of buckets in a display chest type freezer, the clean up is minimal. Just remove the buckets, reseal them or cover them and place them in the walk in overnight, a quick defrost of the display chest freezer, and a wipe down with santinizer on the inside and outer stainless steel surfaces.

The self serve machine that need constant wiping and sanitizing and refilling are more labor intensive IMO when you take into account it is included in the fare.

"However, that's really just on the workers. For the company, it's not that big a deal." Not really as the workers are paid by the hour and are not salaried.

The more time it takes to clean up constantly and sanitize, the more people required and the longer hours. So it is a big deal for the company. Really.

 

I'm not going to disguise what I think this is apart from another revenue generating stream.

And as to placement/location, it is obvious that previously, just prior to the Dream being designed, they still thought that an arcade would make money. LOL!

The new ice cream/candy shop is prominently placed to get trade from the kids seeing it. Regardless of what has been the norm in the parks, previously DCL has not had anything like that except the shops.

And yes, I know whey they are at the exit from the theater, so they get great footfall and impulse purchases after a show.

 

It is a slippery slope if DCL continue with the same kind of attitude as the parks, when a previously almost inclusive vacation becomes a hazard to navigate the additional upcharge options (that have already started to creep in), and it become a more basic or luxury choice for services and snacks.

 

ex techie

Edited December 4, 2015 by Ex techie

[Fruggers]

My wife and I did our first Disney cruise on the Magic over Christmas last year with our 6 year old daughter. We had a great time and ended up booking on-board for the 2015 Thanksgiving sailing on the Fantasy which was eligible for 10% off and a $400 room credit. Just came back from that sailing and none of the holiday 2016 cruises are eligible for the on-board discount (not surprised really) so we booked a placeholder reservation.

 

Once we got home and I started to look at Disney pricing vs other lines and what other new ships are new offering I cancelled our placeholder and booked a 2016 Thanksgiving sailing on the Royal Caribbean Harmony. Same size balcony cabin and the cost is half of what I paid on Disney for Thanksgiving. I also ended up getting $600 in on-board credit and some other free things. I know the ship, food and entertainment isn't going to be the same, but it's half the cost and the Harmony actually has more things for us to do as a family other then see "Wishes" again. I thoroughly enjoyed my two Disney cruises, but I find I just can't justify the cost for what you get.

[Ex techie]

Fruggers,

 

Unfortunately, more and more DCL cruisers are starting to feel the same way.

 

I personally wouldn't even be bothering to save up to cruise on the Magic again unless I knew that I had friends onboard to get a family and friends discount.

 

ex techie

[chong67]

Hello. Yes I do see that DCL charge so much more. For a inside cabin its 2K vs one can get a high class balcony suite for 1.5K.

 

I did see some of the pict on DCL and they are pretty. Mickey mouse hand on the slide, pool with Mickey logo at the bottom. I saw the atrium that has the Cinderella stairs. That must have taken a few rooms off.

 

I wonder if they serve lobster and scallops at the buffet.

 

I bet their shows will be top notch.

 

I'll get on one before I am out of this world.

Edited December 10, 2015 by chong67

[perditax]

If there was lobster at the buffet, it was well hidden. :)

[Ex techie]

Hello. Yes I do see that DCL charge so much more. For a inside cabin its 2K vs one can get a high class balcony suite for 1.5K.

 

I did see some of the pict on DCL and they are pretty. Mickey mouse hand on the slide, pool with Mickey logo at the bottom. I saw the atrium that has the Cinderella stairs. That must have taken a few rooms off.

 

I wonder if they serve lobster and scallops at the buffet.

 

I bet their shows will be top notch.

 

I'll get on one before I am out of this world.

 

The Cindy staircases as you call them don't take up any room away from Staterooms.

DCL atriums lobby's aren't big in comparison to other lines. More grand than some? yes.

 

And no lobster or scallops at the buffet. Shrimp and crab yes.

 

Lobster tails only are reserved for formal night in the MDR's.

Other nights may have lobster as an ingredient.

 

The pay for Adult's only restaurants will have whole Lobster or scallops most likely.

 

ex techie

[moki'smommy]

My wife and I did our first Disney cruise on the Magic over Christmas last year with our 6 year old daughter. We had a great time and ended up booking on-board for the 2015 Thanksgiving sailing on the Fantasy which was eligible for 10% off and a $400 room credit. Just came back from that sailing and none of the holiday 2016 cruises are eligible for the on-board discount (not surprised really) so we booked a placeholder reservation.

 

Once we got home and I started to look at Disney pricing vs other lines and what other new ships are new offering I cancelled our placeholder and booked a 2016 Thanksgiving sailing on the Royal Caribbean Harmony. Same size balcony cabin and the cost is half of what I paid on Disney for Thanksgiving. I also ended up getting $600 in on-board credit and some other free things. I know the ship, food and entertainment isn't going to be the same, but it's half the cost and the Harmony actually has more things for us to do as a family other then see "Wishes" again. I thoroughly enjoyed my two Disney cruises, but I find I just can't justify the cost for what you get.

 

This sums up our experience perfectly. I found that I can get a balcony cabin on another line for less than the cost of an inside room on DCL. Yes, the Disney ships are prettier both inside and out. But I can give up some "pretty" for that kind of savings. We found DCL's main stage entertainment to be better, but other lines had better "around the ship" entertainment. (Celebrity and Princess). Food is subjective, but Disney was at the bottom there too as we've found the quality to be decreasing over the years. There are many things we like about DCL, but the cost of purchasing a soda package on another line is small peanuts compared to the savings we get elsewhere.

[bsp]

I'll have to take the opposite view. We've never traveled DCL with kids (well, under 18 anyway), and love every minute of it.

 

So nice to hear from someone who has cruised DCL without kids. I'm trying to talk hubby into going on a Disney cruise, but he thinks it's for kids and can't see paying the extra. We've never had a bad cruise and love the variety. Even though the cost is quite cheaper than it was 20 some years ago, I see a lot of things cut down (and understandably). But, I'd like to try a different cruise line and know that will be at a cost. Can you tell me what there is for adults and I see you've been on Carnival and other lines, the differences Disney offers? Thanks so much for your insight. Bonnie :cool:

[moki'smommy]

So nice to hear from someone who has cruised DCL without kids. I'm trying to talk hubby into going on a Disney cruise, but he thinks it's for kids and can't see paying the extra. We've never had a bad cruise and love the variety. Even though the cost is quite cheaper than it was 20 some years ago, I see a lot of things cut down (and understandably). But, I'd like to try a different cruise line and know that will be at a cost. Can you tell me what there is for adults and I see you've been on Carnival and other lines, the differences Disney offers? Thanks so much for your insight. Bonnie :cool:

 

I've done lots of Disney without kids cruses. You might read my comparison of DCL vs. Princess on this site.

 

Don't get me wrong--I've loved most of our DCL cruises. I've just seen too much reduction in quality, cutting corners, reduction in Castaway Club benefits, etc. to justify the cost. I sincerely believe that DCL has the most beautiful ships of any line, both inside and out.

 

And to the above poster--Palo (adult dining) only serves lobster tail on the same night that there is lobster in the MDRs. On other nights, they have lobster dishes, but not lobster in the shell.

[Ex techie]

So nice to hear from someone who has cruised DCL without kids. I'm trying to talk hubby into going on a Disney cruise, but he thinks it's for kids and can't see paying the extra. We've never had a bad cruise and love the variety. Even though the cost is quite cheaper than it was 20 some years ago, I see a lot of things cut down (and understandably). But, I'd like to try a different cruise line and know that will be at a cost. Can you tell me what there is for adults and I see you've been on Carnival and other lines, the differences Disney offers? Thanks so much for your insight. Bonnie :cool:

 

Here is a very comprehensive review with many many pictures from a cruiser without kids.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1900546&highlight=disney

 

Also Moki'smommy's comparison is very good reading!

 

ex techie

Edited December 26, 2015 by Ex techie

[Ex techie]

And to the above poster--Palo (adult dining) only serves lobster tail on the same night that there is lobster in the MDRs. On other nights' date=' they have lobster dishes, but not lobster in the shell.[/quote']

 

You are correct moki'smommy and I stand corrected by my "most likely" comment!

 

ex techie

[eroller]

So nice to hear from someone who has cruised DCL without kids. I'm trying to talk hubby into going on a Disney cruise, but he thinks it's for kids and can't see paying the extra. We've never had a bad cruise and love the variety. Even though the cost is quite cheaper than it was 20 some years ago, I see a lot of things cut down (and understandably). But, I'd like to try a different cruise line and know that will be at a cost. Can you tell me what there is for adults and I see you've been on Carnival and other lines, the differences Disney offers? Thanks so much for your insight. Bonnie :cool:

 

 

Trust me a Disney cruise can be a wonderful experience without kids. My partner and I have no kids and absolutely love Disney Cruise Line. I have to admit it helps if you're a Disney fan, but even if you aren't the product is special enough that most people with an eye for detail will appreciate the experience and all the special touches. I've sailed on over a 100 cruises from Carnival to Silversea, and I have to say Disney still manages to impress me every time. We have been so impressed with Disney that we are letting them handle our wedding onboard DISNEY DREAM in February. I know it will be something special, and not something I would trust to most other cruise lines. They just don't have the attention to detail and finesse that Disney does. Yes a Disney cruise costs more but I always feel I get my money's worth.

 

Attached is link to a review I wrote of DISNEY DREAM from the perspective of two adults with no kids. Tons of photos as well. It's an older review but still relevant and may provide you with some insight to the Disney experience.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1561689

Edited December 27, 2015 by eroller

[Ex techie]

Congratulations eroller on your upcoming wedding!

 

I hope this cruise is the most magical, special and memorable of all of them!

 

ex techie

[eroller]

Congratulations eroller on your upcoming wedding!

 

I hope this cruise is the most magical, special and memorable of all of them!

 

ex techie

 

 

Thanks! After 20 years we figured it was time. We are actually getting married on our 20th anniversary. It also helps that it's legal now! ;)

[Ex techie]

Thanks! After 20 years we figured it was time. We are actually getting married on our 20th anniversary. It also helps that it's legal now! ;)

 

As it should be, and not before time!

 

Wishing you both the best day, and going forward!

 

ex techie

 

p.s. If it is at the Head's up Bar pier, that has fantastic views of the bay and back to the ship in the background for photo's!

[tinybiny]

So nice to hear from someone who has cruised DCL without kids. I'm trying to talk hubby into going on a Disney cruise, but he thinks it's for kids and can't see paying the extra. We've never had a bad cruise and love the variety. Even though the cost is quite cheaper than it was 20 some years ago, I see a lot of things cut down (and understandably). But, I'd like to try a different cruise line and know that will be at a cost. Can you tell me what there is for adults and I see you've been on Carnival and other lines, the differences Disney offers? Thanks so much for your insight. Bonnie :cool:

 

I cruise without kids, but I haven't been on any other lines. So, I can't give you a comparison, but I can tell you what I enjoy there.

 

First off, I am not a fan of smoking or gambling, so that makes DCL a good choice. They do have bingo, but they have no casino. There are many areas that are 18+ only, which makes it easy to find a quiet place to chill out.

 

The service level is fantastic. In my family, I am the one who has do all the work before/during/after any vacation. So, a DCL cruise is truly the only full vacation experience I ever get (aside from still having to plan the before and after). I suspect that would be true with any cruise line, though, based on trip reports I've read about other lines.

 

The shows are good and not raunchy. They will have performers who do a family show at the main show times and do an adults only performance later, but I've never seen any raunchy comedy stuff in the adult venues. Depending on which ship you are on, you may have lots of areas to choose from with different music in different bar/lounges.