Disney hates poor people

Then just keep your eye on Melissa. It's happening slowly before our eyes...

Shades said:

^^^ I am not sure what "this" is supposed to mean.

It's code for "giggity."

We're mostly on the same page, MAC. Just saying that some families don't have enough income to be able to even think about planning a vacation.

Those are the "poor people" from the thread title. Even "lower-middle-class" people MAY be able to prioritize an economy-type vacation at Disney....POOR people just want to get to the next payday/3rd of the month.

To be fair, Disney doesn't hate them....Disney doesn't even see/recognize them.

Oh, Disney (the company) does see poor people. They're selling this family a week at Grand Floridian for almost $7,000, that family a Disney Princess doll for $10 and happily counting all the profits.

About Jeff's photo, how do we know those aren't expensive designer jeans? I wouldn't know the difference these days. I think they are kind of tacky, but that doesn't mean that they were cheap. You can't get gold jeans at Walmart.

Jeff said:

Not to be contrary, but I think Swan and Dolphin absolutely suck. I stayed in Swan with a friend the year before last, and I thought it was a dump. Charging for parking was lame too.

I hear ya, and see why you have this opinion.

But I think that labeling Swan/Dolphin as "dumps" is a little overblown. I've stayed at both properties multiple times. Mostly because on most dates, they are 1/2 (or more) of the price of the Boardwalk/Yacht/Beach resorts, with pretty much the same advantage of one of the best resort locations on WDW property.

Yes you have to factor in a cab ride to and from MCO (I also call BS on the parking fee), and the daily resort fee ( I also call BS), but if you are looking to value engineer a "deluxe" category resort, the S/D are really worth considering.

The only thing to remember is that they are not true WDW properties. Meaning, they are more "business class". More typical of a mainstream Marriott or Hilton. But if you are fine with losing some of the magic, the S/D are viable options at a decent value/price point (for most of the year).

rollergator said:

To be fair, Disney doesn't hate them....Disney doesn't even see/recognize them.

That is a little harsh. Disney recognizes there are poor people. (Heck, lots of poor people work for Disney.) But, let's be fair. In 2013 the Walt Disney Company donated $370 million dollars worldwide. That is a pretty sizable amount of money. Particularly for a corporation that isn't obligated to donate anything. In addition to their charity they also encourage their cast members to Voluntear and they give many, many hours of volunteer service to organizations such as Give Kids the World.

Is there a God given right for everyone to go to Disney World? Of course not. Nor is there a God given right for everyone to own a Ferrari, travel, stay in a Four Seasons, etc.

The parks are an absolute zoo...even at the current price point. Imagine what would happen if they substantially lowered prices. Disney may have a better handle on pricing than any other business. They are charging a premium price for an arguably premium product, and they are spinning turnstiles while filling hotel rooms. And, for that, they are criticized?

In America you have the right to pursue happiness. Too often people confuse that with the right to be happy. Pursue is a verb.

370 million that is what 740 free tickets

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I'd argue against the "arguably" :-) WDW is a premium product and has been since it opened back in 1971. Disney has done a great job of expanding the market for the park, with the Value resorts for example.

I think WDW is working its way back toward a premium product. But, the past 10-15 years have been questionable. They let things get stagnant there for a while. There were regular complaints about maintenance standards that were slipping. The first incarnation of Disney's California Adventure misfired badly. Animal Kingdom was a half day park they were charging full price for. I could go on.

I think Universal's success with Harry Potter lit a fuse with the folks who control the purse strings. Disney Imagineering always had the capacity to do great things but the bean counters stood in the way.

$300 million plus IS a significant number no matter the size of the company; particularly if they are doing that annually (I read that the number went from $370 million in '13 to $317 million in '14).

And again, I'd like for someone who is critical of the price point to explain to me the crowds.

LostKause said:
You can't get gold jeans at Walmart.

You sure you wanna take that bet?

http://tinyurl.com/jcb4cet

http://m.imgur.com/gC2jHxg

Found those in the first 2 minutes of looking. I'm sure there's more if you dig.

Is the idea that we can tell how much money someone makes/has by looking at the clothes or car they drive on vacation?

Jeff said:

Tommytheduck said:
And you don't even want to know how much a minivan or larger rental car costs per day in Orlando.

$20 at the right time of year.

Especially if your willing to return it out of state.

GoBucks89 said:

Is the idea that we can tell how much money someone makes/has by looking at the clothes or car they drive on vacation?

I gotta agree with this. I'm required to dress up for work, so on my days off, you're going to see me in jeans and a t-shirt. (hoodie if it's cold.) And not only do I book the cheapest rental car available, it's become somewhat of a tradition for us, when renting from a place that allows you to pick from the entire collection of Economy cars, to deliberately pick the tackiest, most embarrassing car on the lot. And this coming from a family of Car Enthusiasts. Booger green Kia Souls, pink Ford Fiesta, even a Fiat 500 that the 3 of us were able to squeeze into. That last one is especially embarrassing because it was in Dallas Texas, where every 3rd vehicle is an extended cab pickup.

That being said, I'm gonna roll my eyes at your shiny metallic pants (ir)regardless of how much you spent on them. Feel free to do the same at me in my Big Lebowski t-shirt.

wahoo skipper said:

But, the past 10-15 years have been questionable. They let things get stagnant there for a while.

To experienced visitors, all true. To a lot of guests, probably not, I'd guess.

The first incarnation of Disney's California Adventure misfired badly.

I remember reading up on DCA and thinking WTF? Disneyland has such a large number of Annual Passholders, concentrated in southern California, and you're giving them.... a park themed to the state they live in?

And again, I'd like for someone who is critical of the price point to explain to me the crowds.

My two cents, and I think I've mentioned it before: people critical of the price point are not actually critical of the price, or concerned that Disney is pricing WDW out of reach of its customers. They're complaining that Disney is now charging more than they themselves want to pay.

GoBucks89 said:

Is the idea that we can tell how much money someone makes/has by looking at the clothes or car they drive on vacation?

While I'm sure I'm a total contradiction when I get out of my car in the clothes I wear, yeah, for better or worse, these are hardly unqualified generalizations to make in American culture. Americans in most parts of the country are obsessed with status. Just because I find that silly doesn't make it any less true.

Problem with using certain status symbols (and cars and clothes are certain major ones for many folks) as barometers of income/wealth is there is a tendency to overreach in a society that values status symbols. People are often buying things they cannot afford for the status symbol value. And those who could well afford them but who do not buy into the status symbol notion or don't care about it (and may even be trying to hide their status to a degree) go without.

And as noted in this thread, priorities play a big role. You can easily double or triple your apparent income/wealth with a couple well placed status symbols. Or cut it by 1/2 or 2/3 going the opposite way with given status symbols.

That you can effectively multiply your status symbol status (or cut it down substantially) during the short duration of a vacation makes the barometer less useful

If Disney could magically have a bubble that appeared above everyone's head with annual income/net worth in it, I am confident there would be a lot of shocks (on both sides) based on seeing people get out of their cars (many of which are rentals) or walking through the parks.

GoBucks89 said:

People are often buying things they cannot afford for the status symbol value.

You mean, like Disney vacations?

Sure. Just like there are millionaires who stay at value resorts or the Comfort Inn offsite. And who eat counter service meals without park hopper tickets. Which again means looking at the vehicle people park in Disney parking lots and clothes they wear while at Disney aren't necessarily indicative of their income/wealth.