Has Disney just outpriced themselves?

[RunHappy]

I've always thought Disney was overpriced for what you get (long lines, expensive foods, etc) but I do enjoy going to Epcot every 5 years or so.  Even so I know a lot of average Americans who view Disney as the vacation place to aspire to, but I wonder if Disney is finally out of reach for them.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/disney-hikes-ticket-prices-us-220755393.html

[coppertop]

Not so long as there are credit cards.  Most people have the buy-now, pay later mentality. 

[seattlecyclone]

These increases seem to be roughly inflationary in nature. The tickets were expensive last year, and they're basically just as expensive this year in constant dollars.

[dandarc]

These increases seem to be roughly inflationary in nature. The tickets were expensive last year, and they're basically just as expensive this year in constant dollars.

I mean, yeah they go up every year, but in 2005 it was about $60 - now $105 - that's like 6% per year.

Wonder how big of a part of the CPI Disney world tickets are?

[DragonSlayer]

They priced us out a while ago. We used to love to go and stay at their campground.. It was a great deal as there was so much to do at the campground alone that you almost didn't have to go to the parks and we already own a paid-for small motorhome. But when it got to where you couldn't get a campsite for under $80-100 bucks a night in the offseason, we gave up.

[Helvegen]

I don't really have any interest in going to DL or WDW, but I was thinking about a Disney cruise. However, they are pretty pricey compared to other operators.

[HopefulMustache]

Disney does still have that aspirational glow... it's still a popular cliche that Superbowl/Lottery winners, etc, will answer "what will you do next?" with "I'm going to Disneyland!" That's some great free marketing.

That aside, wow, $105 per person just to get through the door... it's kind of hard to think anything but "they sure are milking it." It sort of prices out my own sense of the value of a ticket, though it's not impossibly expensive. Seems like they're going to test the limits of what people will pay and raise prices until they find it. Makes business sense I suppose. I do wonder if higher-income families are increasingly making up the "increasing" attendance, or if the demographics are unchanged and it's just part of the larger trend of the "average American" saving less, so on the whole the so-called average American goes just as often.

[davisgang90]

Once a year my family and I go to Busch Gardens for free (they offer a veterans deal once a year) and still end up spending too much on parking, food etc.

I have a buddy who was posting during a Facebook conversation that he and his family of 4 dropped $8K on a Disney visit recently and I had to pick my jaw up off the floor.  His daughters are teenagers, so not exactly at the "It's a Small World" phase anymore. 

[RunHappy]

I think Disney is definitely milking it.  I ran my first half marathon there in 2010 (Disney Princess Half Marathon).  It was $90 to register for the race, but that was only a race fee.  It did not include travel, food, or admission to the park.  Now the price is up to $170 and still does not include admission to the park (although you do get to run through it at 6am.

A friend of mine has  been trying to talk me into running it again with her, but I just cannot justify spending that much money on a race I've already run.

[gt7152b]

It's just a part of establishing your social status. I hear talk of families visiting multiple times per year like it's a bragging right. That's going to generate alot more jealousy amongst their peers now that the price has gone up.

[CommonCents]

My folks are there (and Harry Potter World) right now with my sister's family.  They got pretty discounted military passes and used my sister's hotel points from work travel, but still it's crazy expensive.

[SK Joyous]

We took a trip to DisneyWorld a few years ago, and will be going back next winter.  It is definitely expensive, but we do some things to minimize:

• We rent a villa off-site for much, much cheaper than what Disney hotels cost; this has the added bonus of having a full kitchen so we can eat breakfast and occasional supper at the house instead of eating out
• We make the trip length worth it (a 10-day ticket cost split among the 10 days is $36 per day, so not quite as bad)
• We don't spent a bunch of money on tourist crap/knick-knacks/pictures/etc
• We go in the off-season so you get better bang for your buck in terms of time use

Having said all that, it is expensive and it is our guilty pleasure to take 'warm' holidays during the Canadian winter :)

[James]

No, they haven't outpriced themselves until people stop going and I don't see that happening. From what I hear the place is packed, with lines for some rides over 2 hours long. I bet they don't care if attendance dips slightly. It isn't about milking the price, it is about finding the sweet spot between people choosing not to go and people being upset about overcrowding.

[I'm a red panda]

That aside, wow, $105 per person just to get through the door...

But that is a one day ticket. Hardly anyone pays for a one-day ticket.


I don't think Disney has outpriced themselves because crowds are still insane. They've certainly priced themselves such that I won't spend money there, but plenty of people are more than happy to spend that kind of money.

[AJ]

No, they haven't outpriced themselves until people stop going and I don't see that happening. From what I hear the place is packed, with lines for some rides over 2 hours long. I bet they don't care if attendance dips slightly. It isn't about milking the price, it is about finding the sweet spot between people choosing not to go and people being upset about overcrowding.

Agreed. It seems less like Disney is pricing themselves at all, and more like the Market is pricing them insanely high. I have no problem with that, though it is certainly too expensive for me.

[Gone Fishing]

No, they haven't outpriced themselves until people stop going and I don't see that happening. From what I hear the place is packed, with lines for some rides over 2 hours long. I bet they don't care if attendance dips slightly. It isn't about milking the price, it is about finding the sweet spot between people choosing not to go and people being upset about overcrowding.

+1

[Sid Hoffman]

No, they haven't outpriced themselves until people stop going and I don't see that happening. From what I hear the place is packed, with lines for some rides over 2 hours long. I bet they don't care if attendance dips slightly. It isn't about milking the price, it is about finding the sweet spot between people choosing not to go and people being upset about overcrowding.

This is it exactly.  For so many people, the ticket price is only a small part of the total cost.  The rest is transportation (either ground air airfare) and hotels, which can easily dwarf ticket prices for out of state families.

My ex took my son and his cousin to Disneyland the Sunday before presidents day.  This should have been by all accounts a very low time for the park.  Sure, it was a Sunday, but the Sunday after Valentine's day is a slow time for sure.  Still, for the big rides they were waiting in line 1 - 1.5 hours.  Everything else however they had much more reasonable waits.

As was pointed out, people come to Disneyland to have fun and an overcrowded park is not fun.  The only way to reduce crowds is to raise the cost.  I'm sure there's a lot of people who would like to see the price raised significantly higher just to keep the crowding down.  Nobody's having fun if they are waiting 1.5-2 hours for every ride.  The other alternative would be to grow the park, which isn't so much an option in the California one, or to put in another Disneyland somewhere.  That would be tough too, since there's very few places which such consistently good year-round weather as the two locations already.

[MoneyCat]

I think Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure is a lot more fun and I can get free tickets using AMEX reward points.

[mm1970]

They priced us out a while ago. We used to love to go and stay at their campground.. It was a great deal as there was so much to do at the campground alone that you almost didn't have to go to the parks and we already own a paid-for small motorhome. But when it got to where you couldn't get a campsite for under $80-100 bucks a night in the offseason, we gave up.

Camping in general seems to be getting really pricey.  Even locally, campsites (basic tent sites) are $45 a night, and that's just a campsite on a beach.

My brother and SIL are always "broke", or so they say.  I was trying to figure out a summer trip home (opposite coast), and my SIL says that she's planning a trip to DW with her sister.  Now, that's 3 flights (my brother doesn't go, just their kids), plus all the DW costs...that's not cheap!

We live about a 2 hr drive from Disneyland.  Last year, my older son turned 8, so we took him there for his birthday during spring break, just the tail end of "off season".  Still, for four (my toddler was free but we brought my MIL), it was $480 for tickets (2 day tickets), plus hotel (we got a suite with a kitchen) and food (still ate out 2x), it was $1200.  For TWO DAYS at Disney, and 2 nights at the hotel.

It was fun - I totally see why Disney is expensive - the entertainment was amazing, it was very clean, very well done (I was hugely skeptical beforehand, but now I get it).  But we won't be going back, at least not for several years.  Maybe 5 years when the little one turns 8.

[OSUBearCub]

From a locals perspective they've not out-priced themselves.

The Florida Resident passes are still a decent value - I pay $18 a month for a Seasonal Pass which doesn't include parking.  Parking is $17 if I can't find someone to ride along with.  The monthly rate will rise to $19.87 when I renew in September.

There are even cheaper options.  Here's what locals pay: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/florida-residents/passholder-program/

There's also a 3 day ticket for $139 and a 4 day ticket for $159 that can be broken up into individual day trips on non-consecutive days.  This is hands-down the best deal if you're not at the parks more than once every month or two. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/resident-discover/

Now, as for the tourists, lines are as long as ever.  You hear "Whatever happened to the off season?" from a lot of locals.  Most of the increased crowds are due to the Fantasy Land, Frozen, Star Wars expansion at Hollywood Studios, and Avatar expansion at Animal Kingdom.   Most of the increased ticket prices are to fund those expansions.  Keep in mind, the Orlando parks employ over 62,000 people to serve an average of 50,000 guests a day.  They cap that day off with the Wishes fireworks display that costs $41,000-55,000 per night.  Every.  Single.  Night.

[MsPeacock]

Disney is crazy expensive, but all theme parks are. Disney is the best of tbem, in my opinon. 

If you can swing a military  ticket they are reasonable (something like 165 for a 4 day park hopper plus ticket).

Did a transatlantic Disney cruise a few years ago. 14 days 3200 total for 4 people in two rooms. Caught a military mag flight home from rota spain. Kids had a blAst. It all depends on your travel budget.

Park tickets are reallynexpensive, but clearly Disney isn't having g any problem selling them.

[Sid Hoffman]

I think Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure is a lot more fun and I can get free tickets using AMEX reward points.

I don't know what Universal Studios in Florida is like, but the Universal Studios theme park in California feels like it's a quarter of the experience of Disneyland.  On the other hand, about 3 years ago we did some sort of special SoCal pass which was Sea World, the SD Zoo's Safari Park, two days at Disneyland/CA Adventure, and the last day at Universal Studios theme park.  Between all 4 locations in early March, Disneyland was far and away the busiest, easily 30-60 minute waits and this was mid-week, not a weekend, and was before the California schools were on spring break.

All the other parks were still fun and were more like 5-15 minute waits for things with no waiting for anything at all at Sea World or the SD Zoo's Safari Park.  It was hard to say which was the most enjoyable experience, since Disneyland had the best rides and coolest stuff, but you really got to do the least of it, since so much of your time is just spent waiting in line.

[Shade00]

I think Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure is a lot more fun and I can get free tickets using AMEX reward points.

Islands of Adventure is the only place I would consider going in Orlando - but then, I don't have kids and the wife and I LOVE rollercoasters. Islands of Adventure has real rides. Busch Gardens is just down the road in Tampa too.

[RootofGood]

My kids eat disney branding for breakfast (not literally of course, except when the princess cereal is on sale...) but when I ask them if they want to go to Disney World (approaching $1000/day for a family of 5) or go on a cruise ($300/day for a family of five), the cruise wins out in a decibel-laden waterfall of screams jubilation to go on another cruise.  As a result, it's very unlikely we will ever go to Disney unless someone else gives us a free trip or we find some ridiculously good deals.  We may stop by for a day when we're in Florida, but the "take the kids to Disney for the week" probably won't ever happen.  And my kids don't really seem to care.  I'm definitely enjoying not waiting in line in the heat and humidity.

There's lots of Magic (tm) everywhere else in the world, and Disney can trademark Magic but they can't own all of it. 

[Bookworm]

I don't think so. I understand they are experiencing record attendance, so someone is buying.

They've priced me out! We had annual passes for several years. Disney is very good about allowing outside food and drinks, so once the original price is paid, there's no reason to spend more, and we went for a few hours every week or so. But now, the passes are just ridiculously expensive.

[partgypsy]

My kids eat disney branding for breakfast (not literally of course, except when the princess cereal is on sale...) but when I ask them if they want to go to Disney World (approaching $1000/day for a family of 5) or go on a cruise ($300/day for a family of five), the cruise wins out in a decibel-laden waterfall of screams jubilation to go on another cruise.  As a result, it's very unlikely we will ever go to Disney unless someone else gives us a free trip or we find some ridiculously good deals.  We may stop by for a day when we're in Florida, but the "take the kids to Disney for the week" probably won't ever happen.  And my kids don't really seem to care.  I'm definitely enjoying not waiting in line in the heat and humidity.

There's lots of Magic (tm) everywhere else in the world, and Disney can trademark Magic but they can't own all of it.

(threadjack) root of good, do you have any tips about saving for cruises? I know there are websites but the amount of info is pretty overwhelming and not sure how to search and I don't see the big savings. Are inside cabins claustrophobic or OK? I'm talking about a family of 4 for a 5 day cruise to eastern caribbean, either in March or in summer 2016.  We are most likely not doing it unless seems like good deal and don't have to deal with drunk spring breakers.

[Janie]

Disney does still have that aspirational glow... it's still a popular cliche that Superbowl/Lottery winners, etc, will answer "what will you do next?" with "I'm going to Disneyland!" That's some great free marketing.

It might be good marketing, but it's not free. Michael Eisner gives his wife credit for coming up with coming up with the idea. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I'm_going_to_Disney_World!

[aschmidt2930]

No, they haven't outpriced themselves until people stop going and I don't see that happening. From what I hear the place is packed, with lines for some rides over 2 hours long. I bet they don't care if attendance dips slightly. It isn't about milking the price, it is about finding the sweet spot between people choosing not to go and people being upset about overcrowding.

Well said.  Like any other business, Disney will continue to hike the price until demand falls.  At that point, they'll drop it 20-30 and it will appear cheap, and any loss in crowds will flock back.

I wonder what the revenue per person is on overpriced hot dogs and souvenirs once in the door.  I bet that number is jaw dropping. 

[kpd905]

People will still go and they'll still be standing in 3 hour lines.  I would personally rather go to a national park and pay $25 for a week pass.

[MoneyCat]

I think Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure is a lot more fun and I can get free tickets using AMEX reward points.

I don't know what Universal Studios in Florida is like, but the Universal Studios theme park in California feels like it's a quarter of the experience of Disneyland.  On the other hand, about 3 years ago we did some sort of special SoCal pass which was Sea World, the SD Zoo's Safari Park, two days at Disneyland/CA Adventure, and the last day at Universal Studios theme park.  Between all 4 locations in early March, Disneyland was far and away the busiest, easily 30-60 minute waits and this was mid-week, not a weekend, and was before the California schools were on spring break.

All the other parks were still fun and were more like 5-15 minute waits for things with no waiting for anything at all at Sea World or the SD Zoo's Safari Park.  It was hard to say which was the most enjoyable experience, since Disneyland had the best rides and coolest stuff, but you really got to do the least of it, since so much of your time is just spent waiting in line.

Universal Orlando is much bigger and better than the one in California.  Just The Wizarding World of Harry Potter alone makes it worth the price of (free) admission.  I also love the Hulk rollercoaster at Islands of Adventure and the Rip Ride Rock-It rollercoaster at Universal Studios.  The last time we went, my wife found a code online that you could punch into the computer on Rip Ride Rock-It so it would play "Moving Right Along" by the Muppets while the coaster runs. :-)

[crispy]

We are huge Walt Disney World fans and try to go once a year.  While rack rate pricing is pretty ridiculous, there are deals to be had.  We usually get our tickets through the Disney YES program (https://www.studentguest.com/yes/index.php).  They kids get to do something educational, and they offer discounted tickets so it's a win-win.  We also have friend who works there that books our hotel at a discount.  We can usually do a 6 or 7 day trip at a Disney hotel, tickets, food and transportation (we drive) for around 2.5K.  Not cheap, but not crazy expensive considering what we are doing.

[gimp]

People will still go and they'll still be standing in 3 hour lines.  I would personally rather go to a national park and pay $25 for a week pass.

Annual pass to ALL national parks is $80 + shipping (or $80 at the park). A whole year... to any national park in the US... $80. How good a deal is that?

[LiveLean]

One of my favorite books is Team Rodent by Carl Hiaasen.

I've never understood the appeal of spending $100-plus per person to stand in lines all day for "experiences" that all spit you out in a gift shop.

I've lived in Central Florida for 17 years, have two sons (12 and 9), and have never been inside a Disney theme park.

I've watched Disney make ESPN unwatchable and fear they're going to do the same for Star Wars.

If you think cable it too expensive, it's because you're paying a hefty chunk to Disney for the ESPNs.

I've never been more proud as a native Virginian as I was when Virginia drove Disney out in shame in the mid-90s when it had the unmitigated gall to propose a "Disney America" theme park in a state that has more history than anywhere in America.

One of my best friends is a wealthy woman because she sells unwanted Disney timeshares (I realize that term is redundant) that some suckers purchased.

There is nothing more anti-mustachian than Disney.

[dungoofed]

Tokyo Disney just put their prices up $5 to about $70 too. But what you call "Disneyland" in the States is divided into "Disney Land" and "Disney Sea" so you could say they put a two-day pass up $10 from $130 to $140. For a country that has had no inflation for the past 30 years this is a big deal.

Was wondering whether affluent Chinese were having an effect on crowds at Disney in the US?

[Bob W]

Glad I live near Branson.  Season passes to Silver Dollar City $80.  Awesome roller coasters and rides.  Last time we went no lines.  Great shows too.    Still takes about 4 days to do the park and then you could spend another 10 days checking out Brandon and the Ozarks.    Nice Lakeview cabins can be had for $100 a night. 

[onecoolcat]

I bet Disney expects to see a decline in guests in the coming months due to the rise of the dollar compared to foreign currencies.  A significant chunk of Disney guests are foreigners.  They are probably trying to make up for the loss of guests.

[Paul der Krake]

The yahoo commenters are outdoing themselves on this one. Just wow.

[LouLou]

Nope! Because there are theme park lovers like me who will always go to every theme park they possibly can. I plan to go back to Orlando next January, and Cedar Point this summer! I will ride rollercoasters until my body won't let me anymore. And yes, I am willing to work longer for it. It floats my boat.

Also, keep in mind that many Disney tourists are not Americans. I spent a week at the Orlando parks (Disney and Universal) in January a couple years ago, and there were lots of South Americans (their summer break). Disney parks are a part of lots of foreign tourists' Mega Trip To America.

That said, if you spend full price for one day, you are doing it wrong. If you wait in line longer than..say...thirty minutes for anything, you are doing it wrong. If you buy food in the park for all your meals, you are doing it wrong. Or at least, you are doing the most expensive and most annoying way possible.

Like anything, there are expensive ways and inexpensive ways to accomplish the same thing.

[southern granny]

We have been to Disney a few times.  The two trips that we made to take Grandchildren were two of the best trips of my life.  I stood in the rain for 45 minutes when my granddaughter was 4 for her to see Ariel.  The look on her face was priceless.  She was absolutely awe struck.  She is 14 now and still remembers the trip.  We only do a one day ticket, but we are there from open until close.  The rest of the week we spend at the beach.  It isn't something that I would do every year, but I don't regret the times we have been.

[chasesfish]

I have enjoyed the performance of my Disney stock.  Over 100% in less than 30 months.

Keep those price increases coming!! 

[HopefulMustache]

Disney does still have that aspirational glow... it's still a popular cliche that Superbowl/Lottery winners, etc, will answer "what will you do next?" with "I'm going to Disneyland!" That's some great free marketing.

It might be good marketing, but it's not free. Michael Eisner gives his wife credit for coming up with coming up with the idea. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I'm_going_to_Disney_World!

Thanks for the link. It makes sense that it would have started as a paid advertisement, but I honestly think I know it more from parodies and references at this point... I mean, I watched the entire Superbowl this year and don't actually remember seeing Edelman/Butler say it, I just kinda figured someone did. Still, it'd probably fade from pop culture eventually if they didn't keep paying SB winners to say it, so it's money well spent, especially if the quoted cost of $30K is really all it costs them.

[NumberJohnny5]

I think Disney is on a slow decline. Very, very, very slow. So slow it appears that they're actually on an incline.

1. Prices keep going up.

2. Park maintenance is going down. They used to keep everything looking brand-new, now it's common for rides to have known problems (I hear lots of complaints about the Pirates ride).

3. Bigger crowds.

They may be going downhill, but since we have #1 at the same time as #3, it's a very profitable decline.

We like the Disney parks. Disney World (Orlando) is my favorite, but Disneyland California was good, and Disneyland Hong Kong was small but nice too. There are ways to keep the prices a tiny bit more reasonable.

Camp at Fort Wilderness. I've read that some people go there to get their fill of Disney (i.e., don't go to any actual parks). As low as $60/night, it varies with season of course. Plenty of Disney activities; small waterpark/pool area, a dinner show nearby, character dining (unlike most/all other character dining, this one doesn't require park admission), quick transport to Magic Kingdom (one boat ride from Fort Wilderness to Magic Kingdom and back), free parking at the parks (Disney transportation is free, but it can be quicker to just drive), lots of Christmas decorations if you go during November/December, etc.

Buy an annual pass and use it for two years. It's currently $654 for admission to all the major parks (i.e., not the water parks, golf course, or arcade; it's another $125 for that). Go one year during Christmas time (late November/early December, if you hate crowds do NOT go the week between Christmas and New Year's). Next year, go earlier, perhaps in October for their Halloween stuff. If you must go only when Christmas decorations are up, try the 2nd-3rd week in November. Anyways, $654 for two weeks every two years is not that bad (it's not that great either).

Buy their "10-Day Park Hopper + Water Park Fun & More - No Expiration" tickets. For adults it's $769.53 and kids it's $748.46 (these prices are on the Undercover Tourist site, straight from Disney would be a bit higher). The tickets do not expire, so if you're extra stingy they'll be good for up to 20 years of Disney (one day per year, you get 10 days of the major parks, and another 10 days of the minor [that's the Water Park Fun & More part]). In reality, you can easily do three years of Disney. Day one, do a party (Halloween or Christmas times). Day two, rest at the campsite (kids love pool days). Day three, minor park (water park, arcade, whatever). Day four, major park. Day five, Science Museum (kids loved the one in Orlando, and surely everyone here with kids has a Science Museum membership). Day six, major park. Day seven, rest. Day eight, pack your stuff and enjoy one last day at a major park (free parking is still valid on checkout day). That's three days of your ten day ticket, plus a party (was $67 per person, expect price increase), water park, and a science museum. It's not going to be cheap, but it's not going to be insanely expensive. Back of the envelope math says that works out to just under $1,600 for a family of four (minus food, minus transportation costs, minus the science museum membership you already had). Not cheap, but not $5k (or more!) either.

[PatStab]

We have been to Disney a lot.  I'm tired of it but DD likes to go.  It is chuck full of foreign tourists, so I think that is where they make a lot of their money.

But I hate the lines, my feet aren't so great and I get tired, plus I've just been to many times, same
with Vegas.  But our daughter loves these places so every couple of years or so I haul her to one or
the other.

[geekette]

(threadjack) root of good, do you have any tips about saving for cruises? I know there are websites but the amount of info is pretty overwhelming and not sure how to search and I don't see the big savings. Are inside cabins claustrophobic or OK? I'm talking about a family of 4 for a 5 day cruise to eastern caribbean, either in March or in summer 2016.  We are most likely not doing it unless seems like good deal and don't have to deal with drunk spring breakers.

I'm not root of good, but I love cruises.  Thing is, I dislike summer cruising (crowded and hot), and the spring break isn't so great either (but we don't have kids and aren't tied to an academic calendar).

Longer cruises don't have as many partiers (avoid 3-4 night during spring break especially).  I avoid Carnival for the same reason.  While our one Disney Cruise was very, very well done, they're just too expensive for us to justify.  Royal Caribbean is our current favorite, and is great if you have kids, especially the Oasis and Allure (HUGE ships with lots of options).  The Voyager class ships are very good, and the Freedom class isn't bad either (but their dining rooms are crowded).  I don't know if the Radiance class sales in the Caribbean anymore, but they seem more sedate (maybe because we've sailed them in Alaska, Panama Canal, and northern Europe).

If you're the type of family to be go! go! go! you can take an inside.  They're small, but generally well laid out.  Tight for 4, but if the kids are small, it might be fine. For me, a window is the minimum (promenade rooms are fun), but as introverts, we really enjoy hanging out on the balcony in the quiet and watching the ocean go by, reading, knitting, having a cocktail, etc.   

Best time to go is in the fall, if you can swing it, although it's hurricane season and your ports might be scrambled.  Really, one port is much like the others in the Caribbean, overrun with tshirt vendors, jewelry stores, and other junk.  At this point, we tend to stay on the ship and enjoy the quiet. 

</threadjack>

[RootofGood]

(threadjack) root of good, do you have any tips about saving for cruises? I know there are websites but the amount of info is pretty overwhelming and not sure how to search and I don't see the big savings. Are inside cabins claustrophobic or OK? I'm talking about a family of 4 for a 5 day cruise to eastern caribbean, either in March or in summer 2016.  We are most likely not doing it unless seems like good deal and don't have to deal with drunk spring breakers.

I'm trying to get a full series of blog articles on "the art of the cheap cruise" but it's not quite ready for publication yet.

But here's a preview: 

Go to http://vacationstogo.com/ticker.cfm?sort=pdm&t=y 

That should already be sorted by price per night.  Scroll down to find bahamas or caribbean or wherever you want to go.  Check out the cheapest cruises.  Last minute (as in a month or two or less) is when the prices are usually the lowest if your schedule is fairly flexible.  Summer is usually much more expensive than the off season from September to January (like 2x the price or more). 

For actual booking, I've gone direct with the cruise lines, tried out cruisecompete.com where agents will bid for your business (do your DD on the agents if you get a good bid), and I've used travelocity and other online travel agents.  No complaints with any booking conduit. 

We just took a 5 night cruise on Carnival out of Jacksonville in January.  Total price ended up around $1100 for 5 of us in two cabins (plus $300 in gratuities).  I talked about it a bit in my last monthly spending blog post (and there are some decent comments about cruising and finding deals and Disney vs. regular cruises oddly enough!).  That link also has another link to my September 2014 spending report where I go into more depth about our cruise and the costs, saving money on it, etc (we took a 7 nt in Sept 2014).

Edit to add: Inside cabins are great - we tend to spend all of our waking time outside of the cabin anyway.  There's never been a cruise where we couldn't find somewhere quiet to relax and take in the views.  And between eating, swimming, shows, minigolf/rockclimbing/whatever, and bumming around Caribbean islands on foot, we don't get as much relaxation as I'd like.  But it's definitely the most relaxing vacations we take since you don't have to go to a different hotel room ever and everything on board is easily accessible on foot. 

We've been booking two inside cabins for our 2 or 3 kids lately.  The oldest are 8 and 9, so okay on their own now.  The prices have been almost exactly the same whether we have 4-5 in one cabin or in two (another benefit of traveling off season). 

[RootofGood]

Longer cruises don't have as many partiers (avoid 3-4 night during spring break especially).  I avoid Carnival for the same reason.  While our one Disney Cruise was very, very well done, they're just too expensive for us to justify.  Royal Caribbean is our current favorite, and is great if you have kids, especially the Oasis and Allure (HUGE ships with lots of options).  The Voyager class ships are very good, and the Freedom class isn't bad either (but their dining rooms are crowded).  I don't know if the Radiance class sales in the Caribbean anymore, but they seem more sedate (maybe because we've sailed them in Alaska, Panama Canal, and northern Europe).

We thought Carnival would suck due to the reputation but tried it in September and it was pretty awesome.  Mrs. RoG's favorite cruise so far.  I don't think there was any more partying than Norwegian or other ships (never been on Royal Caribbean).  Food and service was excellent.   They sail from ports near us too. 

Best time to go is in the fall, if you can swing it, although it's hurricane season and your ports might be scrambled.  Really, one port is much like the others in the Caribbean, overrun with tshirt vendors, jewelry stores, and other junk.  At this point, we tend to stay on the ship and enjoy the quiet. 

+1 We quickly realized we don't really care which ports we visit and have actually booked without even checking the port itinerary.  I think we've at least stepped off the ship in every port, but sometimes only for an hour or two. 

Fall or winter is our favorite time too.  In winter, you skip crappy weather (at least here in NC) and it's usually nice in the Caribbean.  Fall is still nice down there too.  Although it was pretty hot and humid in Sept when we went to Mexico, Honduras, and Belize (similar to NC summers).  Summer would probably be a lot worse.

[dandarc]

Dammit.  Now I want to go on a cruise!

Wife wants to try Royal Carribean, and there is a 5 night one from Tampa in November that looks enticing - hits veteran's day, and 2 weekend days, so we'd only need 3 days off work to make it happen.

[Sid Hoffman]

Annual pass to ALL national parks is $80 + shipping (or $80 at the park). A whole year... to any national park in the US... $80. How good a deal is that?

Do you not have normal kids?  Trust me as a parent of a typical kid, I've gotten mine to 15 different states and 5 different countries to show him nature, culture, wildlife, and a lot of outdoor activities that I enjoy.  He's been a good sport about it but even as he's approaching high school graduation he'd rather go to Disneyland than do another nature thing.  Kids are not the same as old people.

As for cruising, I enjoy it as a way to get a sampler of places you might want to return to, or as an alternative to a landed resort if your main draw is simply the sorta-free food (generally not alcohol) and beautiful scenery that changes every so often.  Even the best beach resort will always have the same view every time you go out on the patio.  With a cruise, you could have a different view every day, or if it's something like the Alaskan/Canadian Inside Passage, you could have a day or two where the whole day is spent with the scenery very slowly and continually unfolding in front of you.  They cost real money, but I personally think cruises are a good thing and would be happy to do another in a year or so.

[I'm a red panda]

I love cruises.  I've also been really pleased with Carnival, despite their reputation.

That said- my advice would be to pick a cruise based on ports (but don't be too disappointed if they change or get missed because they can and do.)  I personally hate sea days, as they seem like a giant cash grab for the cruise company- if I wanted to relax with a book I would have stayed home.  That said, we still manage to fill the day, usually playing trivia- but everything seems to be about buying expensive drinks, gambling, or playing crazy expensive bingo.

We LOVE ports- and research and plan excursions heavily.  If it is less than an hour ride from port, we book independently- lots cheaper than going through the cruise line.  More than an hour we like the "boat will wait for you" guarantee.

[RootofGood]

Dammit.  Now I want to go on a cruise!

Wife wants to try Royal Carribean, and there is a 5 night one from Tampa in November that looks enticing - hits veteran's day, and 2 weekend days, so we'd only need 3 days off work to make it happen.

Sounds nice.  I'd suggest waiting for a last minute deal on that cruise or similar if you can drive to FL or figure out relatively cheap flights (maybe book 21+ days out?).  Prices were ridiculously low in November of last year.