News Disney Parks Chief Josh D'Amaro Says Pricing Model Aims to Keep Vacations Affordable for Families

Biff215

Biff215

Well-Known Member
JD80 said:
Not sure what you're arguing here. The conversation is about affordability. A baseline WDW vacation is hotel and ticket costs. You can't control those.

Food and transportation are things you can control. When I think affordability I think of how to minimize cost just so you can access the entertainment at a minimum level. Thinks like better accomodations, ride skipping access, souvenirs are all extra.
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But those costs are controlled by Disney, which is why we’re discussing it. If Josh wasn’t so intent on defending their pricing strategies, then we wouldn’t be so annoyed. I know how to control my own costs.
 
A

Aschwenker

Active Member
JD80 said:
Not sure what you're arguing here. The conversation is about affordability. A baseline WDW vacation is hotel and ticket costs. You can't control those.

Food and transportation are things you can control. When I think affordability I think of how to minimize cost just so you can access the entertainment at a minimum level. Thinks like better accomodations, ride skipping access, souvenirs are all extra.
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You don't actually want to talk affordability, because you explicitly want to leave out the components that were previous bundled in the cost of a stay at a Disney Resort that Disney now either charges for or no longer offers (FastPass, Magical Express, MagicBands, etc.). If you want to compare apples to apples when it comes to affordability from 2018 and 2019, then the price of those unbundled components should be factored in. That means including the price of Lightning Lane, MagicBand+, and transportation to/from the airport and a Disney Resort in those calculations. However, that also means you would lose the argument because Disney is demonstrably less affordable than it was in 2018 and 2019.

Instead, you'll say, "Well, Disney considered those components to be 'free', so their unbundling doesn't affect the price of the room or ticket." If there were true, then why are people now paying for the previously free components? The answer is because Disney figured out they were components people would pay for and unbundled them as a result.

I concede Disney's choice of bundling those components is Disney's right, but they cannot then turn around and claim "affordability" by pointing to a dwindling number of days when the lowest ticket prices are offered or the dwindling number of hotel rooms available at the lowest rates as proof.

At the end of the day, everyone's family is balancing their three basic resources: time, money, and effort. Time and effort can be related back to money, though. If your time is more valuable to you than the cost of Lightning Lane, then of course it makes sense for you to spend your money to save time. If your effort to go to Orlando Premium Outlets is less valuable to you than the cost of a Disney souvenir sold at the parks, then of course it makes sense for you to spend your effort to save money.

But do not for a second believe that they're not all interrelated and what you might think of as "saving money" is actually costing you more in time or effort than it would cost in money. Something is truly a "deal" if the amount it would cost in one resource is less than the amount it would cost in another. The problem is people are bad at math and substitute their feelings in place of mathematical value. Disney (and every company) tries to take advantage of this and they've clearly suckered people into believing it's better to pay more of one resource instead of another by calling it "choice".
 
D

drizgirl

Well-Known Member
Aschwenker said:
You don't actually want to talk affordability, because you explicitly want to leave out the components that were previous bundled in the cost of a stay at a Disney Resort that Disney now either charges for or no longer offers (FastPass, Magical Express, MagicBands, etc.). If you want to compare apples to apples when it comes to affordability from 2018 and 2019, then the price of those unbundled components should be factored in. That means including the price of Lightning Lane, MagicBand+, and transportation to/from the airport and a Disney Resort in those calculations. However, that also means you would lose the argument because Disney is demonstrably less affordable than it was in 2018 and 2019.

Instead, you'll say, "Well, Disney considered those components to be 'free', so their unbundling doesn't affect the price of the room or ticket." If there were true, then why are people now paying for the previously free components? The answer is because Disney figured out they were components people would pay for and unbundled them as a result.

I concede Disney's choice of bundling those components is Disney's right, but they cannot then turn around and claim "affordability" by pointing to a dwindling number of days when the lowest ticket prices are offered or the dwindling number of hotel rooms available at the lowest rates as proof.

At the end of the day, everyone's family is balancing their three basic resources: time, money, and effort. Time and effort can be related back to money, though. If your time is more valuable to you than the cost of Lightning Lane, then of course it makes sense for you to spend your money to save time. If your effort to go to Orlando Premium Outlets is less valuable to you than the cost of a Disney souvenir sold at the parks, then of course it makes sense for you to spend your effort to save money.

But do not for a second believe that they're not all interrelated and what you might think of as "saving money" is actually costing you more in time or effort than it would cost in money. Something is truly a "deal" if the amount it would cost in one resource is less than the amount it would cost in another. The problem is people are bad at math and substitute their feelings in place of mathematical value. Disney (and every company) tries to take advantage of this and they've clearly suckered people into believing it's better to pay more of one resource instead of another by calling it "choice".
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More knobs and levers, baby!
 
JD80

JD80

Well-Known Member
Aschwenker said:
You don't actually want to talk affordability, because you explicitly want to leave out the components that were previous bundled in the cost of a stay at a Disney Resort that Disney now either charges for or no longer offers (FastPass, Magical Express, MagicBands, etc.). If you want to compare apples to apples when it comes to affordability from 2018 and 2019, then the price of those unbundled components should be factored in. That means including the price of Lightning Lane, MagicBand+, and transportation to/from the airport and a Disney Resort in those calculations. However, that also means you would lose the argument because Disney is demonstrably less affordable than it was in 2018 and 2019.

Instead, you'll say, "Well, Disney considered those components to be 'free', so their unbundling doesn't affect the price of the room or ticket." If there were true, then why are people now paying for the previously free components? The answer is because Disney figured out they were components people would pay for and unbundled them as a result.

I concede Disney's choice of bundling those components is Disney's right, but they cannot then turn around and claim "affordability" by pointing to a dwindling number of days when the lowest ticket prices are offered or the dwindling number of hotel rooms available at the lowest rates as proof.

At the end of the day, everyone's family is balancing their three basic resources: time, money, and effort. Time and effort can be related back to money, though. If your time is more valuable to you than the cost of Lightning Lane, then of course it makes sense for you to spend your money to save time. If your effort to go to Orlando Premium Outlets is less valuable to you than the cost of a Disney souvenir sold at the parks, then of course it makes sense for you to spend your effort to save money.

But do not for a second believe that they're not all interrelated and what you might think of as "saving money" is actually costing you more in time or effort than it would cost in money. Something is truly a "deal" if the amount it would cost in one resource is less than the amount it would cost in another. The problem is people are bad at math and substitute their feelings in place of mathematical value. Disney (and every company) tries to take advantage of this and they've clearly suckered people into believing it's better to pay more of one resource instead of another by calling it "choice".
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I am defining affordability by staying in a hotel and getting access to the parks. The bare minimum experience.

You want to argue value. Different conversation.
 
StarWarsGirl

StarWarsGirl

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
drizgirl said:
Also, other entertainment options really aren't something where you eat all of your meals contained in the high price bubble for many days. Like if you eat a hot dog at the ball park, you aren't also eating breakfast and lunch at the ball park. You are probably eating much cheaper the other meals.
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True, although ballparks prices are worse than Disney. Even other amusement park food prices are worse than Disney for QS, but that's another conversation. Disney is on par food price wise for most vacation spots, witn exceptions.

Though we do have to consider DL in this. Josh was also talking about day guests to DL and saying $104 isn't that expensive. Compared to other parks where a non-discounted ticket is cheaper, yeah, that's expensive. Food isn't really that expensive since locals could bring their own food and drinks, but just tickets alone are insane. And then you gotta pay for parking or take a train in.
Pay Me Kim Kardashian GIF by GQ
 
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Lilofan

Well-Known Member
Biff215 said:
Please give it up, you’re the one sounding ridiculous here. Of course everyone can find ways to save on their vacation. For most families though that doesn’t move the needle when it comes to affordability.

Plus you’re only proving our point on the value argument.
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Seems like a bunch of excuses. There are options to save money which requires effort.
 
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Lilofan

Well-Known Member
Sirwalterraleigh said:
Every consumer should be offended when a company tells you what their opinion is of their “value”

And it’s been tolerated when the emperor and his sock puppets have thrown it around for 10 years (and there’s a key part of history along those lines missing there as well)

They don’t determine their value. They have no say and no right to speak on it. The customer determines that. And they have gotten more and more frequency of negative business/travel press on that “metric”. It has accelerated in the last 5 years - for sure
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You yourself tolerate it by feeding the Mouse by continuing going on vacation at WDW. FL tourism thanks all of us by supporting a key driver in the FL economy.
 
SamusAranX

SamusAranX

Well-Known Member
The truly only affordable and relatively good value remaining is the Florida resident ticket specials they do; and the pixie pass. Just my opinion. But even then, the value has decreased from years past (no more FP, no more complimentary magic hand, etc). I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop and the bottom AP tiers have 50 percent off parking instead of free parking.
 
Tony the Tigger

Tony the Tigger

Well-Known Member
drizgirl said:
I just love seeing people defend big corporations. Don't understand it one little bit.
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If I feel the criticism is over the top, I’ll do it.

I don’t know whether half the folks commenting are naive or just stuck on sarcasm, but why in the world would you expect a man in Josh’s position to say anything other than what he said?

Why would you take it so seriously?

Think of him like a politician. Realize the reality that he’s going to say what he is expected to say by the people who control his fate - and I don’t mean park goers.

What he said was not controversial, not insulting to you if you can’t afford it or choose not to spend on it, and I’m guessing they have stats of the “average salary” vs. a week at All-Star Music.

I have done stripped down visits when I was super broke, and I have done Victoria & Albert’s and everything in between. You make it work however it works best for you. That’s on you. Don’t tell me there aren’t options.

Not everyone can afford it, and that’s a bummer, but not everyone can afford a whole lot of things in this world.

And balance is key. I’m flying Spirit tonight - super cheap on points - not a luxury trip by any means - but I sprung for the “big front seat” with unlimited drinks.

I’m renting DVC points to stay for the first time at Wilderness Lodge for my bday at the end of August - that’s a splurge, but at a smart savings. And it’s balanced by staying only 3 nights. (We’ll often spend the first night (our travel day) either offsite or at a value resort to save money - so really 4 nights.)

You make it work, and you make your own great time, or you make yourself miserable.

Set realistic expectations.
bmr1591 said:
I don’t disagree the pricing is out of hand, but people keep booking. Heck, bookings are up for YoY and look to be trending up the rest of the year as well. The customer is shouting that they don’t care about the price. Is it sustainable? I’m not sure, but the train keeps plowing on.
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This. ^
 
Tha Realest

Tha Realest

Well-Known Member
Trust me - if there’s any aspect of a Disney vacation that’s viewed as affordable or a value proposition to the guests, that same experience is one where the bean counters within the company will look to monetize or extract more money from the guest. The only reason they have the revenues and profitability they currently enjoy is because they’ve pared down operational costs by removing those aspects of a vacation that used to be included (DME, FP, entertainment) and either offloaded them onto the customer to bear (DME), monetized them as new revenue streams (ILL, LLPP, G+) or gotten rid of it all together. Mind you, those things used to be bundled together as part of your appx $100 day ticket a decade ago; that same day ticket costs twice and much and now you have to bear the costs of transport to/from the resorts, assess a la carte ride pass options ranging from $15-$400, and are left with previous little to do between rides because of the removal of a lot of the entertainment options.
 
Laketravis

Laketravis

Well-Known Member
seabreezept813 said:
As regular August visitors (teacher here) this take always confuses me. We're from MA and it hardly ever feels hotter in Florida in August than it does in Ma in August. Summer is hot everywhere. Disney has so much AC and indoor options that it's much more pleasant than a day at 6 flags up here. I think because summer is already hot, it just doesn't feel that dramatic.
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Same here. It was 101 with high humidity in Austin yesterday, not unusual to see daily highs kissing 110 in August. Every time we've gone to Orlando in July/August it felt cooler in the shade than at home (the direct sun is brutal for both).
 

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