WSJ: Even Disney Is Worried About The High Cost Of A Disney Vacation (gift link)

[Jrb1979]

Except the concept is not limited to WDW. Other businesses are already looking into various models. Grocery stores already use different pricing across different stores, but they want to be able to tailor it even more to individual customers, perhaps via facial recognition and digital pricing.

Just cause other businesses do it doesn't mean Disney should do the same. This a horrendous idea. No other theme park does this crap.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Does anyone with any sense look at the airlines dynamic ticketing system and say “oh that’s a good idea - let’s do that” ???

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

but they want to be able to tailor it even more to individual customers, perhaps via facial recognition and digital pricing.

Wouldn’t that get into legal issues? Like nothing about your identity should make the price for a product change.

 

[DisneyHead123]

Wouldn’t that get into legal issues? Like nothing about your identity should make the price for a product change.

That was my first thought. Looking into it, I think the idea is they start with a high price and offer a “discount” to certain customers. Still not sure if that’s legal but framing it as “a special offer just for you” or “here’s a promo code” seems like it might be more defensible? Kind of like when you shop in a marketplace and they do the “For you? 50% discount!” thing.

 

[Tha Realest]

Wouldn’t that get into legal issues? Like nothing about your identity should make the price for a product change.

Depends on the state. Some are more protective about capturing biometric data than others. To your point, if there’s an aspect about your innate characteristics - specifically, sex, race, age, ethnicity - getting you an offer goods and services at a different price can be viewed as discriminatory.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I don't understand why they want to make things so difficult and complicated to visit.

Because they’re desperate for cash and the parks are almost the only place they can get it.

Okay, I understand now what is meant, thanks.

But... When Disney offers their usual discount rooms and I grab them immediately, I'm paying less for that than other guests that didn't grab the discount when it was offered.

It's almost like a reverse surge. The standard rack rate is a default surge in this case.

There are also deals on tickets at times. And people who buy more tickets at a time get discounts for each extra day. And APers who go often enough are paying a lot less for park entrance than those without AP.

The point being is that there are already lots of cases of people paying different amounts for the same thing.

And just some parallel points of information. Disney does surge pricing for the tickets to their Broadway shows (Disney pretty much invented Broadway surge pricing). And airlines use surge pricing. As do hotels.

Although, I think it works in Disney's favor to keep raising the base/default price and offering discounts when it behooves them as a sort of reverse-surge tactic. It becomes more palatable when people think they missed out on a limited-time discount than to find an upcharge surge fee as the cause of them paying more.

If you true fan you’d pony up for vacation. Club…and then maybe uncle Bob would reciprocate your love for him.

Get on that.

We will have to see the specifics but I think it might function more like cruise lines than airlines - and Disney already does it with their cruise line

So the day the tickets comes out is basically the cheapest they will ever be (other than a promotion, etc) and then as the ship fills up (or in this case the parks) the pricing goes up. So it will motivate people to buy as early as possible - just like is the case with cruises - you buy a year in advance and it is cheaper than the people who buy 3 months in advance and is cheaper than those that buy 3 weeks in advance (assuming a popular day)

Plus this way Disney can potentially start even cheaper than current pricing (but that won't last long) but they can at least market it that if you are willing to lock in early a Disney trip is cheaper than in the past and thus we are making it more affordable which we know is something our guests want, etc.

No not at all

A cruise ship has a specific number of berths

Parks do not…so this is a path to openly extorting you

There is nothing stopping them.

 

[Jrb1979]

Because they’re desperate for cash and the parks are almost the only place they can get it.



If you true fan you’d pony up for vacation. Club…and then maybe uncle Bob would reciprocate your love for him.

Get on that.

No not at all

A cruise ship has a specific number of berths

Parks do not…so this is a path to opening extorting you

There is nothing stopping them.

Universal needs cash too after the money they spent on Epic and you don't see them pulling stuff like this.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The comparison to airlines is invalid

Airlines can change their prices at will…because they have COMPETITION…
And their pricing moves up and down

That is absolutely not the intent here. The prices will only go up…and you’re buying a product not on an open marketplace.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Universal needs cash too after the money they spent on Epic and you don't see them pulling stuff like this.

The word is “hubris”

 

[DarkMetroid567]

Universal needs cash too after the money they spent on Epic and you don't see them pulling stuff like this.

Universal would never pull ticket shenanigans and force people to buy things they don’t want to…

 

[Jrb1979]

Universal would never pull ticket shenanigans and force people to buy things they don’t want to…

That is not the same as changing pricies daily like this rumor suggests. Also we know that Universal will offer daily tickets Io Epic Universe prior to opening

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Universal would never pull ticket shenanigans and force people to buy things they don’t want to…

Your comparing a brand new park no one has set foot in…to the rotting carcass of Epcot?

Really?

 

[Agent H]

That is not the same as changing pricies daily like this rumor suggests. Also we know that Universal will offer daily tickets Io Epic Universe prior to opening

Both are sucky business practices

 

[Jrb1979]

Both are sucky business practices

Not really. From my view the ones upset the most with how Universal is selling tickets to Epic are Disney fans and those who have no interest in visiting Universal. They just want to see Epic.

 

[Dranth]

Universal needs cash too after the money they spent on Epic and you don't see them pulling stuff like this.

They have been doing this for ages with EP.

 

[flynnibus]

Wouldn’t that get into legal issues? Like nothing about your identity should make the price for a product change.

Nope - only if it turns out they were doing it based on protected classes (discrimination)

There are laws about fairness in advertising, but you just dance around that in how prices are advertised.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Not really. From my view the ones upset the most with how Universal is selling tickets to Epic are Disney fans and those who have no interest in visiting Universal. They just want to see Epic.

as someone who falls into that camp it does feel like playing games - I am hopefully to visit Epic later this year and if they had single day tickets available I would have already bought one, but travel won't allow for more than one day there

So does feel like "playing games" - maybe not as bad, but both feel like taking advantage of/annoying the customer vs encouraging them to then to want to come and making it easy for them

 

[monothingie]

Because they’re desperate for cash and the parks are almost the only place they can get it.



If you true fan you’d pony up for vacation. Club…and then maybe uncle Bob would reciprocate your love for him.

Get on that.

No not at all

A cruise ship has a specific number of berths

Parks do not…so this is a path to openly extorting you

There is nothing stopping them.

Here’s an interesting thought.

What about the negative reaction of guests who were going to go, but got shafted by higher prices because they booked late?

I can bet that a lot of people would just say screw it and do something else.

 

[DarkMetroid567]

Not really. From my view the ones upset the most with how Universal is selling tickets to Epic are Disney fans and those who have no interest in visiting Universal. They just want to see Epic.

Disagree — you don’t have to look hard to find upset Uni fans, you just have to ensure you’re not talking to Universal’s equivalent of pixie dusters.

I’m especially not opposed to revisiting IoA/USF, because I haven’t visited recently. But I was a UOAP for a long time. I really don’t need more than a day. It’s annoying that my third day might go to waste based on my work schedule.

Your comparing a brand new park no one has set foot in…to the rotting carcass of Epcot?

Really?

So you’re cool with Virtual Queue then, right? I don’t particularly care how new something is — bad practices that force you to buy a LL or extra park ticket stink.

 

[Jrb1979]

Disagree — you don’t have to look hard to find upset Uni fans, you just have to ensure you’re not talking to Universal’s equivalent of pixie dusters.

I’m especially not opposed to revisiting IoA/USF, because I haven’t visited recently. But I was a UOAP for a long time. I really don’t need more than a day. It’s annoying that my third day might go to waste based on my work schedule.

So you’re cool with Virtual Queue then, right? I don’t particularly care how new something is — bad practices that force you to buy a LL or extra park ticket stink.

Again it's not like this ticket package is the only thing way to buy tickets ever. They have already said Epic Universe single day park tickets will be made available soon.

I get that the way Universal is doing isn't necessarily the best way but it's no where near as bad as the possible surge pricing rumor.