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Las Vegas vs. Disney.....

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by luvstp, Nov 4, 2012.

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  1. luvstp

    luvstp High-Roller

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    We just got back from a 6 night stay at WDW in Florida. We went there for our honeymoon 30 years ago and had been to WDW several times since, the last being about 15 years ago. It seemed like a good idea to go there this past week.

    We stayed in a lagoon view room at the Polynesian and paid an exorbitant amount of money per night ($500) for the privilege of looking at the castle and having concierge service. It killed me to make the reservation given we haven't paid for a room or most meals in LV in about 10 years. But, it was to celebrate a big occasion.

    No matter what is said on this board about rooms, food and service, I can personally say that all three of those things are far better at Wynn or Aria (the two places we usually stay) than they are at WDW. Our expensive room had a single sink, hadn't been updated in at least 15 years, no make-up mirror, no soundproofing between the rooms and a shower/tub combo.

    The food at the polynesian (cafe, room service and Captn Cooks) was barely edible......the coffee was terrible--I decided that the goal must be to decaffeinate the average visitor. We did have one great dinner at Citricos at the Grand Floridian and would recommend that place to anyone.

    As far as service goes, we have been truly spoiled at our LV hotels. The service in the parks was friendly and efficient, but at our hotel it was abysmal in most places. A 15-20 minute wait for a table at a restaurant that was 90% empty.

    Anyway, lesson learned and we won't be back. I'll just have to keep enduring all those comments about "you're going to Vegas again? Why don't you try somewhere else?". I'd rather listen to those comments than fight off more strollers and cockroaches in our room....yes, that part is true also. :eek:

    Curious if any of the rest of you have been able to compare the two experiences?
     
  2. Candy Apple

    Candy Apple VIP Whale

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    Sorry your vacation was disappointing.

    Our last visit to WDW was also 15 years ago, when my son was 9.

    The Disney resorts are way out of my budget and the Park Hopper passes are exorbitant too.

    We'll probably continue alternating between Vegas and cruises.
     
  3. sammasseur

    sammasseur VIP Whale

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    I used to live 90 minutes east of Orlando and had annual passes to both Disney Parks and Universal Parks. I learned two things - everything is overpriced beyond belief, and people will pay anything to get it.

    Also, there are as many bad parents at these parks as there are in Vegas. Kids are being dragged around, exhausted, crying, and wanting to be left in peace. But come Hell or high water, those parents want their money's worth, whether or not there is any actual fun taking place.
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2012
  4. Ashton7

    Ashton7 Low-Roller

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    I live down the road from Disney and Universal. Everything there is massively overpriced, even for locals (and we get discounts on some tickets). They keep raising the prices every year and often cutting back on things at the same time and I'm sure they will continue to do so as long as the public keeps flocking here in such large numbers and paying the price.

    I'm not sure you got quite a deal on the price for your room, though. I live here so I don't usually stay at the resorts but I know there are often "deals" to be had. I've stayed at Ft. Wilderness (in a cabin) a couple of times but I was staying with out of town friends and I think they paid a pretty hefty price but not $500 a night.

    I really have a low tolerance for all the kids at Disney, too (or more specifically, the parents, really -- the kids are usually just being kids). I do love to go to the parks when the weather is nice and if it's an "off" time of year (harder to find these days!). I don't think that Disney is ever going to qualify as a bargain, though.

    We love going to Vegas and getting comped to stay in really nice rooms and usually feel pretty pampered when we're there, even though we are low rollers. My SO always describes Vegas as "Disneyland for adults."
     
  5. Tbone3336

    Tbone3336 VIP Whale

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    I was very lucky enough to make hay during the recession and be able to to continue to travel and we visited Disney twice during two years over Thanksgiving - Christmas timeframe. This past September, I priced a return trip for similar stay at similar places and the cost was more than 60% higher than those trips when you combine, food, air, car, hotel, theme park tickets. Needless to say, we are heading to vegas. ;)
     
  6. vegas3

    vegas3 Low-Roller

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    yep, I live by WDW in florida and know people that go almost every weekend. I think they are insane! :vomit:Over priced, bad service and the people on vacation just don't seem as happy. I haven't been there in 11 years(stepson grew up).

    Go to vegas!!!
     
  7. leo21

    leo21 VIP Whale

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    We are headed to Orlando because of a time share deal. WDW has come up a few times and I am dreading it. When we went as kids, what my parents paid for four of us for three days is probably less than what it costs one person for a day. They want to go to Sea World again too. I don't know if I am going to survive this vacation!
     
  8. pompous

    pompous Low-Roller

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    Only cool thing about Disney is Downtown Disney!
     
  9. BlueSkadoo

    BlueSkadoo VMB Sweetheart

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    I went to Disney World once, when I was 7. I didn't like it then, so I've had no desire to return as an adult. Any place with lots of unruly children drives me up the wall, so it's really sounds like my own personal hell. I'll take a pool, a slot machine and the Bellagio fountains any day.

    I'd probably do it once if I had kids, but unless they were in LOVE with it, they'd get one trip. And I'd work hard to convince them going to the beach and eating fish is WAY more fun than waiting in line.
     
  10. luvstp

    luvstp High-Roller

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    I should have asked the question to all of you before we went! Live and learn and never go back again.

    Hard to have a bad vacation and nobody does parades and fireworks like Disney. That said, I had to laugh at the woman who hollered at my husband to "stop--don't take my child". Seriously? You think we're going to take your 5 year old that is running out of control?

    Nearly everything in the park reminded me of a Vegas slot machine in some way.....the Expedition Everest has a Yetti....remember Betti the Yetti slot machine? :evillaugh And, the Frog Princess is probably related to Cinderella in some way.

    leo21--we generally ate 2 meals a day with a coffee/water/coke thrown in there and it was pretty much $100 per day for food. The park passes are another $50 or $60 per day and if you want to jump between parks, then that costs more too.
     
  11. way2busy

    way2busy Tourist

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    We really enjoy both places. We go to both Las Vegas and Disney at least once a year. They are two totally different experiences. We don't expect one to be anything like the other. That being said, we have stayed at many of the resorts on Disney property and they just don't compare to the resorts in LV. Pretty much the only one we haven't stayed in is the Grand Floridian. The last trip to Disney this past summer, we stayed in a condo nearby. It was much bigger and much cheaper than anything on Disney property. You just have to know where to stay and what to do. Also, Disney isn't for everyone and LV isn't for everyone. It just all depends on what you like to do.
    We do say that we can take the same amount of money to both places and we are sure we won't come home with any if we go to Disney but most of the time we come back with a good bit of what we took to LV. If given the choice between the two, I would choose Las Vegas but we really do love to go to both.
     
  12. tiadalma

    tiadalma Newbie

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    I come from a different point of view compared to most of the posters on here because we are BIG fans of Disney in general and WDW specifically. We have visited regularly for years. We are going to Las Vegas this Thanksgiving for our 4th time.

    I'm not really able to compare them as destinations, I mean to me it is like comparing a New York trip to a beach trip. They can both be great but the environment and entertainments are very different.

    I am not a gambler (I know, bad tia) and my husband only dabbles so we have never been comped anything, we pay for the rooms and try to get a discount. We live in the east so the airfare is more expensive for us to get to NV than FL.

    Most people who visit WDW and feel it is too expensive have paid rack rate and bought a package. In all the trips we have made I have paid rack rate one time, the first trip. After that I learned that discounts are out there and used them. We also do not use the overpriced, underwhelming dining plans the promote. We have several off site restaurants that we prefer to visit and a few WDW ones we hit on each trip.

    In any case I can see us continuing to visit both places over the years.
     
  13. kel3420

    kel3420 VIP Whale

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    I have been to WDW many times, although not in about five years. We even used to own Disney Timeshare, home base in Vero Beach, which was incredible. I'm very sad that we had to sell it. There have been some rumblings recently in our house to start planning a Disney trip. My youngest really wants to go back. She is 15, and has been there probably 8 times, but at 15, five years of not going is taking its toll, lol.

    I think after staying in a DVR villa once, I can't imagaine going back to a regular room and paying those prices. I would rather rent from an owner. The villas are SO much nicer. I still have old passes that they will take, so that will save us some money. Its the food that kills ya. Holy moly. I do alot of planning before going and try and save money every way we can. We do a late breakfast and en early dinner, but usually nice dinners. I also try and do some cool things most people aren't aware of, like renting a boat to watch the fireworks and having it catered. that is awesome, but really not as expensive as you would think.

    We also always stay right outside of Epcot, since we usually end up most nights there. Its a perfect location. Although I would really like to stay at AK and have the animals right at my balcony.

    So now, I am getting the itch too. We used to only go during the timeframe between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Crowds are down, decorations are up, and its perfect. Went once during spring break and that will never happen again. My youngest is a Sophomore though, and while I would take my kids out of school in their elementary years, I won't do it in High School.

    I agree with the kids comments. The witching hour seems to be around 3 pm. Hubbie and I always notice this and give each other the look. The kids have been up early, pushed beyond their limits and it seems like every single one of them is screaming and having a fit. We always start early, do early entry, but always tried to get back the resort for swimming or something, and then went back to the parks early afterrnoon to avoid the melt downs.

    I really gotta start researching this now. I'm sure, just like in Vegas, if you don't go for several years, so many things change.

    :beer::beer::beer:
     
  14. Username

    Username VIP Whale

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    Don't know about now, but Disney was a GREAT investment years ago.......I purchased 5K worth of stock and in less then 3 years it split and paid for a 20K car for me.....:)
     
  15. vegas3

    vegas3 Low-Roller

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    Yea, and now they own the rights to Starwars!
     
  16. hrslvr142

    hrslvr142 Tourist

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    I like them both but they are different experiences. Love the wine and food festival at WDW in the fall & Christmas time is just beautiful. I do know how to get good discounts which helps. Vegas is just a great adult experience and offers even better people watching than WDW any day lol.
     
  17. nhcris

    nhcris VIP Whale

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    I just got back from a week at Disney and flew from there to Vegas for another week. It was Disney's Food & Wine festival and we meet friends from around the country down there every year for several nights of drinking and carousing. We stay at the Boardwalk Villas right outside EPCOT, and this year I also did a couple nights in the Bay Lake Towers which are gorgeoius brand new villas adjacent to the Magic Kingdom. So after a week of drinking and partying at Disney it was off to Vegas for more of the same with other friends from around the country! I loved both weeks :beer:

    Just like Vegas, the more you learn about what Disney has to offer, the better and more affordable vacation you can arrange for yourself. It's pretty tough to get a comp though :D
     
  18. mikenhe

    mikenhe VIP Whale

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    wouldn't that have put you in the atlantic? or maybe I just drive fast......



    anyway - I've just moved to tampa and have Busch gardens / seaworld tickets. I'm loving it - mainly because I can get there early, park for free and leave when it gets busy... before when we visited we'd pay the tourist rates and feel that we had to stay all day to get value from the visit....

    and the food prices....eeek..
     
  19. luvstp

    luvstp High-Roller

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    I should have hung out with you as I was there the same week and the oppty to have adult beverages seemed to pass me by. I did see the offerings at the wine/food festival, but it wasn't like someone was offering it for free. $10 for a margarita......It was the most sober week of vacation in my entire life since I became eligible to drink. :confused2:

    On another note, aren't any of you that love WDW disappointed with how nothing really changes? I expected many of the rides would have been updated in the last 15 years, but except for the addition of Animal Kingdom....there just weren't many changes. I guess that's why I like the changing of Vegas and some folks here yearn for the Rat Pack Days and the Stardust.
     
  20. jgates8

    jgates8 VIP Whale

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    We have a trip planned for January - we normally always stay at moderate. However when their stay, dine & play pack came out we changed to Wilderness since I REALLY wanted to stay there once. $3900 for 6 nights - 4 days park passes - 12 meals. It's a horrific amount for me to even think about. We will still have to do another meal each day on our own. I have $500 in gift cards from Sunshine Rewards that I will apply to this.

    Airfare wasn't too bad - $243 per person from Madison - 1 stop each way in Detroit I believe.

    Son is running full & half marathon both. Daughter & DinLaw are doing the half. I will just watch........
     
    Easter again..:
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