Rumor - Disneyland Prices Going up and Tiered Pricing Introduced

Travel Junkie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
As we know ticket prices increase every year. This year the rumor is the price will increase this Sunday 2/28.

The twist this year is Disney likely introduces tiered or dynamic pricing. Depending on expected crowd levels your ticket will be more expensive on heavier attended days. It is expected that no day will be cheaper than it is now. Instead, certain days will simply be more expensive.

In anticipation of this electronic boards are being installed at ticket booths so they can easily change the price to reflect that day.

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credit mouseplanet on twitter

As you can see the digital board currently has a temporary sign displaying current prices.
 

Travel Junkie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
The expectation is that no ticket will be cheaper than it is now. On the slowest day it will either the same price or even more expensive than the current price and peak days will be more expensive. What that means for Disneyland is that any weekend or any holiday will see a higher price and high season like around Christmas will see a much higher price.
 

CaptainAmerica

Well-Known Member
*Sigh.* Hey, parents, wanna take your kids to Disneyland when they're actually out of school? Well, that's gonna cost you extra...
It's no different than offering resort discounts or cheaper rack rates during slow season... or flights being more expensive around the holidays... or hotels costing more when the Super Bowl is in town... or shorts going on clearance in September... or...

Every single business that can use seasonal price discrimination absolutely does use seasonal price discrimination. It's about time.
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
How exactly is this supposed to work when most people buy in advance and the tickets aren't for a specific day.
Those tickets likely will be phased out yet honored until they are redeemed at the park, and new tickets with the tiered pricing will go into effect.

It may spell the end of supermarket ticket buying, or maybe the tickets sold at supermarkets will only be the most expensive tier. I imagine tickets sold at Disney Stores could mirror the tiered pricing, with the CM there having you choose your dates and charging you the appropriate price.
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
It's no different than offering resort discounts or cheaper rack rates during slow season... or flights being more expensive around the holidays... or hotels costing more when the Super Bowl is in town... or shorts going on clearance in September... or...

Every single business that can use seasonal price discrimination absolutely does use seasonal price discrimination. It's about time.
It's also called American Free Enterprise. A free economy charging free consumers a price that the free market can bear. It works wonders. :D
 

Rich T

Well-Known Member
It's no different than offering resort discounts or cheaper rack rates during slow season... or flights being more expensive around the holidays... or hotels costing more when the Super Bowl is in town... or shorts going on clearance in September... or...

Every single business that can use seasonal price discrimination absolutely does use seasonal price discrimination. It's about time.
People once viewed Disney as a more guest-friendly company. It's one of the qualities that built up a huge fan base for them. If they want to further erode that connection with people for short-term profit, they certainly have a right to do so. But just because other industries and companies practice something doesn't mean Disney has to follow. Sooner or later these kinds of decisions will end up eradicating that intangible but vitally important aspect of Disney fans refer to as "magic." When that happens, they'll be no different from Universal or Six Flags. "It's about time?" Good for stockholders. Bad for fans and families. Inevitable, given current management. I truly believe there are other, better ways to guide Disney into the future.
 

dweezil78

Well-Known Member
People once viewed Disney as a more guest-friendly company.

Uh, and they don't anymore? Disney is still, by and large, incredible when it comes to being a guest-friendly company. A vacation at WDW or DL is still extremely affordable and a great value when stacked up against comparable destinations and the level of service they provide to their guests is far superior to what you would get at other theme parks -- it is right up there with what you'd expect on a cruise line (which, of course, they also offer.)

Disney is not going to under price their tickets, nor should we expect them to. They are not a charity. Until the public starts saying no with their wallets and the crowds start to thin, we will see price increases. Everyone seems outraged over the new tiered system, but I'm not sure why. They are pricing the slower days at a lower cost to give people incentive to go. Why, exactly is this a bad thing?
 

Rich T

Well-Known Member
Uh, and they don't anymore? Disney is still, by and large, incredible when it comes to being a guest-friendly company. A vacation at WDW or DL is still extremely affordable and a great value when stacked up against comparable destinations and the level of service they provide to their guests is far superior to what you would get at other theme parks -- it is right up there with what you'd expect on a cruise line (which, of course, they also offer.)

Disney is not going to under price their tickets, nor should we expect them to. They are not a charity. Until the public starts saying no with their wallets and the crowds start to thin, we will see price increases. Everyone seems outraged over the new tiered system, but I'm not sure why. They are pricing the slower days at a lower cost to give people incentive to go. Why, exactly is this a bad thing?
Well, of course they're not a charity. You say "comparable" and "what you'd expect when compared to," but Disney used to offer a bang-for-the-buck in experience and service that no other company could touch. That's how they got where they are; the only huge entertainment company on Earth that is genuinely "loved" and considered "family" by so many people. If you want them to be like every other cruise line, ski resort and sports arena in the way they do business, that's fine. But they will end up killing the golden goose.

Totally agree that the only thing that will change their (current management's) course is when people vote by taking their dollars elsewhere. All I'm saying is, the good will and one-of-a-kind emotional connection they have with their enormous fan base is worth, in the long run, far, far more to the company than short-term profits gained by nickel-and-diming their guests to the point where the good will is lost forever.
 
D

Deleted member 107043

Uh, and they don't anymore? Disney is still, by and large, incredible when it comes to being a guest-friendly company.

No kidding. Depending which list you look at Disney remains one of the top global consumer brands. At this point it's doubtful that tiered pricing is going to have any meaningful impact on the general perception of the company's reputation.
 

Rich T

Well-Known Member
And therein lies the point. The parks are too crowded. This will hopefully help distribute crowds more evenly throughout the year.
I honestly don't see tiered pricing effecting crowd levels that much. Most families vacationing during peak times have little choice. They're going to plan their vacations around when they can go, not when park tickets are cheaper. The only ones who can really enjoy that kind of flexible scheduling are the loca............. Oh. Right.
 

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