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Prices up…profits down…

Jrb1979

Jrb1979

Well-Known Member
Chi84 said:
I know you’re kidding but I remember how Six Flags ruined Marriott’s Great America.
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To be fair that's was different Six Flags company. If you are into theming and shows than I can understand why you didn't like the change. It's now a coaster and big thrills park.
 
networkpro

networkpro

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
Chi84 said:
I know you’re kidding but I remember how Six Flags ruined Marriott’s Great America.
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And don't underestimate the new Six Flags' company need to divest themselves of existing units of thier current portfolio. It's a capital intensive operation.
 
N

Nevermore525

Well-Known Member
IMG_5787.gif
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
mj2v said:
It always has.
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That is such a poor argument! Of course, there were always people that couldn't afford and still can't. Anyone earning minimum wage or had a large family were financially strapped. Sometimes because of problems having nothing to do with cost. It was true then and it is true now. The biggest difference was that 40 years ago it was a reachable target, even 30 years ago it was, but now to save up it gets frustrating that every year since then they have moved the target further and further away. In 1983 minimum wage was $3.35 and hour. Admission to Walt Disney World for a three day passport in 1983 including both MK and EPCOT Center was about $35.00. And there were still many that could not afford to go, not because of the ticket price but the cost to get there, stay there and have your meals there, even if you stayed offsite where normal room rates were about $25.00 per night. General pay never went up as fast as the rates for everything else for most people. Now people like myself may be able to buy a ticket and the rest that just don't see the value anymore so people are not going in very large numbers that if not for the cost might or no longer see it as a place the welcomes people on a budget.
 
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FettFan

FettFan

Well-Known Member
mj2v said:
It always has.
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Not true. Just a few years ago in 2019, I crunched the numbers and bought my first (and only) annual pass, as I was attending an educators conference in summer 2019, plus had a family trip planned for February 2020.
I ultimately saved about $500 from ticket discount, food and merch discounts, and free parking.

More recently, my wife had two big trips Feb 2023 when we got engaged in front of the castle, and Feb 2024 as part of our honeymoon. Neither of those broke the bank.


We floated the idea of a trip in the first months of 2025 before all of the big changes, but even as a Dual Income/No Kids marriage, we just can’t justify the expense.

Wifey is also a major Potter fan, and once it was announced that the major E-ticket at Epic is Dolores Umbridge’s trial and a omnidirectional elevator chase through the ministry of magic, I think it’s safe to say that the next time we’re in Orlando, we might just forgo Disney entirely. 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
D

DarkMetroid567

Well-Known Member
This is another can of worms, but I’d generally agree that Disney hasn’t been “affordable” for a very long time. My parents were never poor but they made it clear that my first visit in 2008 was financially difficult to pull off. And most of my friends growing up never got to go to Disneyland until they were in their late teens.

I think relative to the rate of inflation Disney has certainly gotten more inaccessible. But I hesitate to say that it was previously affordable anytime in the last two decades.
 
Jrb1979

Jrb1979

Well-Known Member
DarkMetroid567 said:
This is another can of worms, but I’d generally agree that Disney hasn’t been “affordable” for a very long time. My parents were never poor but they made it clear that my first visit in 2008 was financially difficult to pull off. And most of my friends growing up never got to go to Disneyland until they were in their late teens.

I think relative to the rate of inflation Disney has certainly gotten more inaccessible. But I hesitate to say that it was previously affordable anytime in the last two decades.
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I agree Disney was always out of reach for many people financially. Now it's gotten a lot worse with all the nickel and diming they have done.

As much as many want to believe they did it to lower attendance, thats a big lie. Disney parks rely on crowds to make money.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Jrb1979 said:
I agree Disney was always out of reach for many people financially. Now it's gotten a lot worse with all the nickel and diming they have done.

As much as many want to believe they did it to lower attendance, thats a big lie. Disney parks rely on crowds to make money.
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I said the same thing to my Daughter yesterday. I said that reason was bull. No business, even one as successful as WDW wants fewer paying guests. What happened is for over a decade they wandered around thinking that they were invincible. They continuously raised prices while cutting the reason that they could charge as much as they did. Now Universal has, in spite of Disney's denial, expanded constantly. Not only that but a lot of Disney's best imagineers were cut and ultimately went to Universal to design attractions and expand the experience to something that is very much Disney like.

Now they have a conundrum the stock holders got upset so Disney raised prices without improving the value while Uni has just expanded and at the same time kept pace with whatever Disney was charging. All Iger ever did was expand the diversity by investing in things not related to the parks and ignored the one huge money making potential they owned. They are now desperately trying to catch up with the competition instead of the competition trying to keep up with Disney. In the meantime, Disney still has empty attraction buildings, empty unused dining facilities, dropped things that made Disney famous like, parades and street entertainment. 42000 acres, the blessing of size Walt told us. Now they are telling us that they have no room to add anything unless they close something else. Look at what Universal has managed to do with unconnected parcels by finding a way to connect them about the same way that MK, Epcot, DHS and DAK have done. There is no one to blame except themselves. If the "promised" changes expected in our economy happen, one of the first victims will be things that are luxury items that go after whatever additional moneys that people may have.

Going after the cash of people with that cash is only a temporary fix directed at the people that can afford it. However with the decline in attendance also comes a decline in cast members that keep everything organized and magical making the experience less and less enjoyable and has a constant hand in pocket grabbing whatever money is available. It takes more than a shorter line to make things worthwhile.
 
Dad 2 M & M

Dad 2 M & M

Well-Known Member
Back in the day we had to “save” for a trip for our family of four. Now that our income has risen, and we can afford to go, I can’t imagine would be like to “save” now, head down for the trip, and be met with the additional costs once tapping in to the Parks.

At least back in the day, there was a perceived “equity” that everyone had to wait in line….and the extra spending would be for a TS Dinner, etc….

Now when you tap in you have the choice of spending your way to the front of the line, or remaining in the 2nd Class Guest line. Try splaining that to your young uns…
 

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