Would you pay Disney prices if you were not a Disney fan?

[obsessedsc]

We are going on our first Disney cruise in June. We have been on many of the bigger ships and we wanted a shorter cruise. On other lines it's usually the more dated ships that go on the 4/5 day Bahamas cruises. Our kids are 4, 3 and 6 months. We chose Disney for a nicer ship with a short cruise and bc they are at their prime for the Disney magic. I'm really hoping we don't get addicted bc of the price difference.

Edited April 25, 2016 by obsessedsc

[moki'smommy]

This. Absolutely this. We're booked for Princess in a month to get our feet wet outside Disney because Disney's Alaska cruises were ludicrously priced. We're booked for Disney in November and June of next year, but that June one may get changed depending on where we stand after our Princess cruise. Disney's prices are so far out of line with the real world that we don't see the value anymore. We'll see once we're off the Crown Princess.

 

There is a great deal alike between DCL and Princess, and obviously some differences (we didn't see any furries running around on Princess, but we did have a decent library!)

 

This may give you an idea of what to expect.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2288391

[Irene7]

I think I would still go on a disney cruise if I were not a disney fan. Just like, if I did not like Italian food, I would still want to go to Italy. I like many others have cruised other cruise lines, with NCL being my second favorite cruise line and RCCL being my third favorite. I have never had a bad cruise and enjoy all the things each line has to offer. With that said, Disney although expensive meets my expectations the most. The service, food is the best IMO although food is subjective. And I just love the traditional ocean liner look and feel about their ships. My vote is, yes.

[Tapi]

My vote is, yes.

 

 

I haven't given up on sailing on Disney. Just not the way that I had in mind for 2017. We were most interested in either Alaska or Northern Europe but Disney prices, along with airfare, excursions and other incidentals make the total cost a bit hard to swallow. We can do either one of these destinations aboard a more affordable cruise line that will balance the total cost of the vacation considerably, and then maybe later in the year take a Disney cruise closer to home where airfare and other expenses won't be a big factor. My kids will be 7 and 5 so I don't want to wait much longer to take them on Disney.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Tapi

[transitary]

We aren't big Disney fans, have never been to any of the parks, and don't have kids. We've been on three Disney cruises. First one was a family trip and we figured we'd suck it up and go. Had a better time than the rest of the family. We've done a double dip since then and a trans. Going on the ebta in September. We are looking at Disney for an Alaskan, but are considering concierge level on a competitor due to pricing. I want minimal crowding and good food and service, I really don't care what line it is.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[the_dylaness]

I don't care anything about Disney characters at all.

I have cruised Disney (and am cruising Disney again) because they can accommodate my very young children. When my kids are old enough (at least 5??? Not sure) to be well accommodated on other lines, I doubt we will be back on Disney. But I can't imagine anyone else does toddlers like Disney. (I'll take my daughter, who will be 5, on NCL next year.)

[iceman93]

I wonder if many of us are thinking of the situation all wrong. Lots of posts here say, in effect, "I can cruise on RCCL or NCL or HAL for a lot less than DCL and they offer basically the same experience." To be blunt, I think Disney would rather we take our money to those other lines.

 

They are trying to compete with the Regents and Crystals of the world. While we can argue about whether or not their food is up to par with those competitors, it is clear that Disney does offer some features that none of the mainstream or upscale lines can (or have tried to) match. Even if you don't think Disney is in that caliber of cruise line, by charging the prices they are they have put themselves in that class. And that class of cruiser doesn't care about "bucket of beer" specials, or smuggling alcohol on board, or skipping shore excursions that run into the hundreds of dollars per person.

 

It's like if Marriott didn't have Ritz-Carlton in their portfolio but started offering enhanced service at their baseline hotels, then started charging prices to match. Many of their traditional customers would balk at the increased prices, not realizing that they are no longer the target market.

[moki'smommy]

Sad, but likely true.

 

Of course, DCL tried this once before. The rates for their inaugural season in 1998 were astronomical (IMHO) Our original booking (before the discounts because the Magic wasn't out of the shipyard on time) was $6K for 3 nights at WDW/4 nights on the Magic. On that particular cruise, there was no choice--you had to book the one week package.

 

They couldn't sustain those prices--people weren't willing to pay the rates and they were having to severely discount to fill the ships after the Wonder came out in 1999. And prices fell very significantly.

 

Obviously, their goal is to make as much as possible on their product. If they can sell cruises at the current rates, they will continue to charge them. They made a profit even at the lower fares, so if the ships don't fill at the high ones, we might again see a reduction. If there are enough people out there willing to believe that DCL is like Crystal...they'll pay the rates and not think about it.

[meatloafsfan]

I haven't given up on sailing on Disney. Just not the way that I had in mind for 2017. We were most interested in either Alaska or Northern Europe but Disney prices, along with airfare, excursions and other incidentals make the total cost a bit hard to swallow. We can do either one of these destinations aboard a more affordable cruise line that will balance the total cost of the vacation considerably, and then maybe later in the year take a Disney cruise closer to home where airfare and other expenses won't be a big factor. My kids will be 7 and 5 so I don't want to wait much longer to take them on Disney.

 

I recommend for someone who is a cruiser, who wants to try Disney to do a Caribbean or Bahamas cruise with port stops they don't care about. Focus your trip on the stuff on the ship that is unique to Disney or special about taking a Disney cruise (the shows, the deck parties, the characters, the clubs, the water features, mickey ice cream bars, etc.) Don't focus on port stops / excursions, or lying out in the sun for 8 hours, or bingo or even trivia.

 

Order hot room service late at night and enjoy an on demand Disney movie in your stateroom;

Enjoy the Aqua Duck, Aqua Dunk, Aqua Lab or whatever the "special" water feature is on your ship;

Go to the evening shows that are Disney themed;

Try out each of the rotational restaurants and rotational menus;

Enjoy Pirate Night;

Do the sailaway party (be sure to get right in the middle of the chaos);

Pay attention to the character meet and greet times (and this includes tickets to see Anna and Elsa or the Princesses);

Go to the Disney Junior Dance party;

Go to the Disney crafts - especially the scrapbooking one - you get a nice piece of scrap booking paper;

Catch a Premiere at Sea if it's possible or enjoy a late night or early morning movie in the theatre on board (I also recommend saving the latest Disney movie for viewing onboard the ship instead of rushing to the theatre in the weeks before your cruise);

Walk around the ship and actually notice all of the special things that have been placed for your enjoyment - like the seagulls in Cabanas, the hidden mickeys or the art work;

Do the Mid Ship Detective Agency.

 

Focus more on the Disney; less on the cruise.

 

I wonder if many of us are thinking of the situation all wrong. Lots of posts here say, in effect, "I can cruise on RCCL or NCL or HAL for a lot less than DCL and they offer basically the same experience." To be blunt, I think Disney would rather we take our money to those other lines.

 

They are trying to compete with the Regents and Crystals of the world. While we can argue about whether or not their food is up to par with those competitors, it is clear that Disney does offer some features that none of the mainstream or upscale lines can (or have tried to) match. Even if you don't think Disney is in that caliber of cruise line, by charging the prices they are they have put themselves in that class. And that class of cruiser doesn't care about "bucket of beer" specials, or smuggling alcohol on board, or skipping shore excursions that run into the hundreds of dollars per person.

 

It's like if Marriott didn't have Ritz-Carlton in their portfolio but started offering enhanced service at their baseline hotels, then started charging prices to match. Many of their traditional customers would balk at the increased prices, not realizing that they are no longer the target market.

 

I disagree. With the size of the ships that DCL is building (both the Dream class and the new class), they are not going for the same level as Regent or Crystal. There is a reason they keep those ships small.

 

Cost does not equal class.

 

Disney needs middle class families. They always have - for the movies, the merchandise, the parks and the ships.

 

Growing up, Disney was "expensive"; no one we knew stayed on site, eating in the park for our every-other-year trip to Florida was a super special treat and usually meant my parents had a good year (and this was fast food, not a sit down restaurant), and we went to the park for 1 day. This was typical of the families I knew.

 

In the 2000's, Disney became - or was marketed - as more affordable for families. They increased the availability of different price points for merchandise, 2nd string straight to DVD movies, and most of all they highlighted the availability of Value resorts in the parks. Then they added the dining plan, magical express and consistent discounts. They brought Disney into the homes of everyone.

 

Starting about 3-4 years ago, the approach seemed to change - it wasn't about getting more people to come to the Disney brand, it became about having people spend MORE on the Disney brand. Less about volume, more about spending per person.

 

The ships are just the latest casualty of the new cost model.

[carterd2002]

Excellent comprehensive analysis of DCL Meatloafsfan! You brought up many great points.

[Tapi]

I recommend for someone who is a cruiser, who wants to try Disney to do a Caribbean or Bahamas cruise with port stops they don't care about. Focus your trip on the stuff on the ship that is unique to Disney or special about taking a Disney cruise

 

 

Thanks meatloafsfan! Your post makes a lot of sense! Definitely food for thought! [emoji3]

[legaljen1969]

People talk about the demographic that Disney aims to attract. I think there are many demographics they want to attract. There are special features for older cruisers, special features for families.

 

I do think, at the front end and for the initial sticker price, they are pricing themselves out of the market for the average middle class family who considers taking a cruise. It looks like so much money to spend. However, I have started looking at it in a slightly different light.

 

It is quite likely that if that same family went to Disney World, stayed on property, spent money on tickets for the same number of days they would cruise, and ate in the park or at their hotel- they would spend as much if not more than for the cruise. If you look at all that is "included" for the "pixie dust" experience, you still don't come out that badly. The park vacation savings tend to come into play for those who stay off property, cook & eat at a hotel, condo or rental house. You probably aren't going to bring your own food on a cruise (and it wouldn't decrease your cost even if you did). So.... consider what you will likely be eating on a cruise. If you went to a restaurant to have the same type of food what would it cost you to feed your family of (#) at that restaurant or snack place for each meal? How much would it cost you to do sodas or drinks? Put together a per person charge for a place to stay, and all of your entertainment and food. You may find out you are spending just about the same.

 

For those of you who are military (whether active duty, retired or contractor)-please look at military rates for sailings. If you plan on going over to the parks for a full Disney overload before or after the cruise, look into Shades of Green and the military salute tickets. There ARE ways to save and get a good value.

 

Sticker shock gets me when thinking about a Disney cruise, but I am really going to price it out and see if I think it's really all that bad.

 

I love Disney. My first inclination is I would not pay DCL prices even as a Disney fan, but I may reconsider.

[Tapi]

They are trying to compete with the Regents and Crystals of the world.

 

 

Even though I haven't sailed on Disney or Crystal yet, my opinion is that these 2 cruise lines are not targeting the same customer, simply based on what I've seen among my friends, coworkers and acquaintances..

 

STRICTLY referring to people that I know, those who have been on a Disney cruise seem to be mostly middle to upper middle class families with small children. For most, a Disney cruise is the primary or only vacation of the year. Some may only take a big vacation every couple of years. For others, the Disney cruise is a once in a lifetime experience (some have never cruised before and probably never will consider a cruise vacation again). Many have made considerable sacrifices in their daily life in order to take that cruise.

 

For example, my 4 year old daughter attends a preschool and last week they were having a family picnic with a petting zoo for an extra $10. The mom of one of my daughter's classmate started talking to my wife and she said that she wasn't paying the $10 for the petting zoo because they were saving every penny for their upcoming summer vacation. You guessed it. They are going on a Disney Cruise in June! The mom jokingly said that when they come back, they'll be eating mac and cheese for the rest of the summer. [emoji45]

 

At the other end of the spectrum, the people who I know that frequently sail on Crystal and other luxury cruise lines are people who make considerably more money, are older, no kids or the kids are grown up, and taking a luxury cruise is just one of several vacations that they'll be taking that year. They don't need to save up for the cruise. They already have the money.

 

With all of that said, I'm sure that there's plenty of people in the highest income brackets taking Disney cruises. There's no question about that. But I seriously doubt that there are a lot of people out there on mac and cheese diets or depriving their kids of $10 petting zoos in order to sail on Crystal! Just my opinion.

Edited April 26, 2016 by Tapi

[AdoraBelle]

People talk about the demographic that Disney aims to attract. I think there are many demographics they want to attract. There are special features for older cruisers, special features for families.

 

I do think, at the front end and for the initial sticker price, they are pricing themselves out of the market for the average middle class family who considers taking a cruise. It looks like so much money to spend. However, I have started looking at it in a slightly different light.

 

It is quite likely that if that same family went to Disney World, stayed on property, spent money on tickets for the same number of days they would cruise, and ate in the park or at their hotel- they would spend as much if not more than for the cruise. If you look at all that is "included" for the "pixie dust" experience, you still don't come out that badly. The park vacation savings tend to come into play for those who stay off property, cook & eat at a hotel, condo or rental house. You probably aren't going to bring your own food on a cruise (and it wouldn't decrease your cost even if you did). So.... consider what you will likely be eating on a cruise. If you went to a restaurant to have the same type of food what would it cost you to feed your family of (#) at that restaurant or snack place for each meal? How much would it cost you to do sodas or drinks? Put together a per person charge for a place to stay, and all of your entertainment and food. You may find out you are spending just about the same.

 

For those of you who are military (whether active duty, retired or contractor)-please look at military rates for sailings. If you plan on going over to the parks for a full Disney overload before or after the cruise, look into Shades of Green and the military salute tickets. There ARE ways to save and get a good value.

 

Sticker shock gets me when thinking about a Disney cruise, but I am really going to price it out and see if I think it's really all that bad.

 

I love Disney. My first inclination is I would not pay DCL prices even as a Disney fan, but I may reconsider.

 

I get what you're saying, but in order to assess the pricing rationally, you can't do "DCL vs WDW", since WDW is an insanely expensive vacation in 2016. You have to do "DCL vs (other mass-market cruise line)".

[OfficerKrupke]

I get what you're saying, but in order to assess the pricing rationally, you can't do "DCL vs WDW", since WDW is an insanely expensive vacation in 2016. You have to do "DCL vs (other mass-market cruise line)".

 

Agreed. We've done the Land/Sea thing with WDW and DCL. The WDW portion was *significantly* more expensive than DCL. WDW is an outrageously expensive thing to do unless you really work hard to save on hotel, food, tickets, etc.

[MrsTinks]

Did DCL once for granddaughter. Have been to WDW and Disney land several times. Will probably go back to parks but never to their ships. Nothing stood out to me as being worth the money except for the concierge. He was absolutely incredible. The best I've had on any ship.

[ChulaB]

Hubby and I took our first DCL in Jan of this year with my sis and her hubby, all 65+ in age. We had a marvelous time and are looking forward to our next cruise with Disney. In general tho, I tend to pick the ship that is going where I want to go. In most cases that is RCCL out of Baltimore or at least the East Coast.

[fshagan]

Hi Disney board!

 

Looking at possibly booking our first Disney cruise for 2017 now that summer pricing is out but I just can't get myself to pull the trigger.

 

A little bit about us. We are a family of 4, kids are 7 and 5, and as our cruise history shows, we don't play favoritism with cruise lines. We like the Disney product, but we are by no means big fans. Yes, the kids enjoy Disney things and we've taken trips to Disney in Orlando, but at home they don't get any more excited about Disney characters than about cartoon characters on PBS.

 

With all of that said, for those of you who frequently sail on Disney, would you still choose this cruise line if you were not a Disney fan? Yes I keep reading how amazing the service, the food, and the entertainment are, but I've read and experienced the same on several other cruise lines at a fraction of the price.

 

So taking aside the Disney "magic" out, what makes you choose Disney over others?

 

Thanks for your time! [emoji3]

 

I would not pay the premium if I were not a Disney fan (or if my kids were not). Like others have said a 125% premium would probably be OK; the ships are the best decorated at sea IMHO, and the service and food is on par with what we've had on other lines. The entertainment is very good, but it is all-Disney all the time, so you can get tired of Disney Dreams and Disney Magic after two or three shows. (That's heresy to a lot of Disney fans!)

 

We have only sailed on the Magic and Wonder, but always check Disney when looking at our next vacation. For you guys, who are not Disney fans, I would recommend you consider it if you are very comfortable with the price you pay. Otherwise you will inevitably compare it to very similar vacation experiences on the other lines you have sailed at much cheaper rates. If you don't care about Disney, it is just a cleaner, less-smokey and booze influenced cruise line. Is that worth the 50 to 100% premium I've seen on my recent comparisons? Not for me.

[klfrodo]

Asking, "Would you pay Disney prices if you are not a Disney fan" on the Disney board,,,,

is like my wife asking me if these pants make her butt look big?

Or, my wife asking,,, do you think she's pretty?

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

[Tapi]

...is like my wife asking me if these pants make her butt look big?

 

Or, my wife asking...do you think she's pretty?

 

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

 

 

Haha, been there. But I think I've received some objective opinions. I would've expected every response to my original query to be pro-Disney no matter what, but that hasn't been the case.

 

But I know that there are some hardcore fans out there. I remember the last time we went to the Magic Kingdom and we decided to head back to the hotel early (our son was 1 at the time, and 8 hours at the park was, needless to say, more than he could handle). As we were riding the shuttle, a hardcore Disney fan (at least I think she was because of her Disney hat, shirt, and countless Disney pins) asked us if we were going back to the hotel for a break before heading back until closing to watch the night's finale and the fireworks. When we said no, that we were done for the day, she acted personally insulted. She asked "How can anyone go to Disney and not stay until closing time???" and " Who does that, ugh?!?! while making faces of disgust. She kept saying "But you're going to miss out on the magic!!!" and making grunting noises and shaking her head at us, as if we were total idiots for not willing to drop dead out of exhaustion at the base of Cinderella's castle. Glad that attitude didn't manifest itself on this thread! [emoji23]

Edited April 30, 2016 by Tapi

[OfficerKrupke]

She kept saying "But you're going to miss out on the magic!!!"

 

At that point, being the intolerant oaf that I am when it comes to boorish behavior, I would have said, "Well, if the magic is anything like your behavior, then we've definitely seen enough for today."

 

We are hardcore Disney fans, but we're also hardcore "spending our money semi-wisely so we can two-week cruises instead of one-week cruises" fans too. We will continue to cruise Disney most likely, but if we like this Princess cruise we won't be as quick to say, "If it ain't Disney we ain't cruisin'."

[Cafedumonde]

No. Don't do it. They are very good a pulling you in with their marketing. Once they get their hooks in it is hard to get away from them. They are ridiculously overpriced, especially summer prices.

[moki'smommy]

At that point, being the intolerant oaf that I am when it comes to boorish behavior, I would have said, "Well, if the magic is anything like your behavior, then we've definitely seen enough for today."

 

We are hardcore Disney fans, but we're also hardcore "spending our money semi-wisely so we can two-week cruises instead of one-week cruises" fans too. We will continue to cruise Disney most likely, but if we like this Princess cruise we won't be as quick to say, "If it ain't Disney we ain't cruisin'."

 

This says it well. We've gone from selecting a DCL cruise based on dates to selectively booking based on value to now branching out to explore some other lines. And in all honesty, there are things we like "best" on each line we've cruised. SOME things, DCL does best. But other things, Princess, Celebrity, etc. do better.

 

A couple of interesting things....on Princess, we could get a table for 2 (on DCL we usually can get a 4 top for 2). Our table was so close to the next one that we were almost at a table for 4. We enjoyed the people at the next table, but could easily have kept to ourselves. We learned that the lady at the next table wanted towel animals, so asked her host to make them. We didn't really care, so didn't ask our host. So some of the "magic" of Disney is available on other lines if you know how to get it.

 

Another thing....I didn't see ANY of the very rude guests that we often see on DCL. There were some quirky, strange people (like the lady who sang opera in the elevator), but no one rushing to save 17 seats in the theatre. If there were 2 seats open, no one ever told us that those seats were not available. No kids in the adult pools (and yes, we saw children of all ages on board. We were told there were 400!) We saw a lot of multi-generational families, and we never saw a child running around unsupervised doing anything that we considered questionable. Obviously, we saw some teen groups on their own, but their behavior was such that a grandmother would have been pleased with it.

 

And if I had as many cruises/nights on Princess as I have on DCL, you wouldn't believe the perks I'd be getting!

 

I'm not saying that we won't cruise DCL again. I am saying that there are a lot of lines out there, and some of them may be a better "fit" than DCL!

[orville99]

for those of you who frequently sail on Disney, would you still choose this cruise line if you were not a Disney fan?

 

 

We're Disney fans, have had annual passes for the past 16 years, and are Platinum on Disney. Cruise Line While we may salt in a short Disney cruise occasionally, we've had much better experiences on the other lines we cruise. We might bite on a 10-15% premium depending on itinerary, but when we can get a JS on Oasis for a lower price than an inside on Fantasy, it's really no contest anymore.

 

So taking aside the Disney "magic",

 

No need to do that, DCL already stripped out most of the "magic" themselves. Compared to our first Disney cruise on the Magic in 2006, our Magic cruise last May (that made us Platinum) could be best described as "magic-lite" (and that's being charitable.) If you're looking for Disney magic, go to the parks, it's virtually non-existent on the ships today.

[Cruise a holic]

Having sailed on a couple of Disney Cruises, I would never go on if not with very young children. Most of the activities are centered aound families with little children who love Disney. However, some adults are Disney "freaks" and love Disney. We found the ships to be crowded, with lots of noisey and sometimes crying children. If you are unlucky enough to have a cabin next to a family with children-good luck. We found the food to be fair- only one speciality restaurant-which was fair. The rates have also skyrocketed recently.

 

I would urge people even those with young children to consider Royal Carribbean's Freedom or Oasis class ships as a better alternative.

Edited May 1, 2016 by Cruise a holic