Tony the Tigger
Well-Known Member
I’m sure it will go up again before I get my next one.
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News Annual Pass price increases June 2019
- Thread starter Rteetz
- Start date
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
You are technically correct...
However the pricing and blackout restrictions can’t be entirely discounted as an effect even today.
We’ll see how it plays out.
I thought the demand was never going to be high as people assumed...but we’ll see. And I think in the case of the swamp - there physically cannot be a huge spike. I’m not alone in that opinion. I think the “crunch” may hit - if it happens - more in the other parks.
FerretAfros
Well-Known Member
If they wanted to control AP crowds prior to the SWL opening, shouldn't they have started sooner? Given that APs are good for a year, they should have made their quantum leap months ago, so that everything would have had time to shake out prior to opening. DLR did a major restructuring of their AP system about a year ago, and they even admitted to the press that it was an effort to prepare the parks for SWL
I wouldn't read too much into it yet. The highly-publicized reservation system has kept a tons of casual parkgoers away, since the land is in essence still a preview period. If I'm taking the family to Disneyland for our once-every-few-years trip, I'll wait until after we have a chance at getting in.
DLR's biggest issue is that the crowd levels depend more on AP blackout days than anything else. Compare crowd levels on typical summer days (generally pleasant and manageable) to Friday evenings during Halloweentime (gridlock on the city streets, parks closing to capacity) and it will become readily apparent. The number of DLR APers is absurd, and their impact on park operations has turned the traditional notions of busy periods on its head. While I'm sure WDW's SWL opening will have its own challenges, the local AP population simply can't compare to those in southern California
I think DLR was wise to implement both the reservations and the blackouts, to give them a chance to work the kinks out without the pressure of 70,000 guests trying to experience it all at the same time. Perhaps it worked a little too well at keeping people away from the resort entirely for the time being, but the real test will come next Monday when the reservation requirements are dropped and it will become a free for all. If the parks continue to be empty after that point, they've got a problem, but until then it's too early to claim that SWL itself is keeping anybody away
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
You might want to rush to get it now! Before it goes up again 3 pm
(I bet right now there are those “thanking” the overlord that they just renewed theirs...phew!! ...cause a 22% increase - plus another one to follow - isn’t gonna hit this time next year
)
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networkpro
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
Meh, not unexpected. Folks whine about not enough new X, declining maintenance, crowds, etc but when Disney makes a move to address them and it involves increased costs they balk.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
This move actually doesn’t address any of those things.
Price increases aren’t for operational funds. But I think you know that.
It’s simply to hit “revenue targets” for a guy with too much power that is going to retire in the near term
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GhostHost1000
Premium Member
Saw this coming. They announce bring a friend promotion and previews for AP holders right before they went up. Trying to show you get SO MUCH MORE for your money *facepalm*
I don’t think this is smart for Disney right now to be honest. They are betting too much on SWGE in that guests will pay whatever to see it over and over again.
How about they expand more (not replace decent attractions already) in all the parks, replace the monorails, and make the resorts and bus service worth the money if we have to all pay more
I don’t think this is smart for Disney right now to be honest. They are betting too much on SWGE in that guests will pay whatever to see it over and over again.
How about they expand more (not replace decent attractions already) in all the parks, replace the monorails, and make the resorts and bus service worth the money if we have to all pay more
Horizons '83
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
Brutal, as an out of towner (GA resident) I'm not really seeing the value of an AP anymore. 20 to 25% increases aren't sustainable and once the market craps out again, and it will, I'm not sure there will be many left that want AP's.
Is this the 3rd or 4th Increase since the beginning of 2018?
Ironically not a photoshop, but legit Disney marketing material. At least it's honest.
networkpro
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
Don't let the fact that he's also the largest single shareholder of Disney stock (~1.06 million shares) slip out of your calculus as well as the perception that annual passholders on the East Coast occupy too much of the park capacity as they do on the West Coast.
Kman101
Well-Known Member
Same. Man they are greedy. I had a feeling last night when they sent out about the pass holder previews for SWGE (of course I upgraded to gold earlier this year at renewal time so I wouldn’t be left out of passholder stuff so OF COURSE they leave out Gold this time; how insulting to lower tier pass holders too) and I wondered if they would increase the price and sure enough ... they’re so blatant in what they do and the masses just let them get away with it.
networkpro
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
The receptivity of the masses is very limited, their intelligence is small, but their power of forgetting is enormous. In consequence of these facts, all effective propaganda must be limited to a very few points and must harp on these in slogans until the last member of the public understands what you want him to understand by your slogan.
lentesta
Premium Member
I haven't sorted through the 2019 prices yet, either.
The biggest complaint I see people have with Disney at the moment is that the parks are always crowded now. Disney has successfully spread crowds throughout the year instead of having weeks or months with low attendance. They started by raising prices consistently, on hotels, tickets, parking, food, and then they went to variable pricing on tickets to make visiting the park more expensive on what they believe will be busier days.
They really only have two ways of addressing these issues. They can build out a large number of new shows and attractions to absorb the numbers of guests that are visiting the resort, or they can raise prices to the point where fewer people are able to afford to visit. It seems that they've chosen the latter option.
Galaxy's Edge is going to be a huge hit, there's no doubt of that. We're going to see the results from Disneyland when non-resort guests finally get their first look next week. It will be interesting to see how early in the day the "virtual queue" fills up. It will be similarly huge at Hollywood Studios, those 6 AM openings are going to be packed, even in the "slow" month of September. But it's just one ride right now with no real indication of when the second will open. Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway is delayed until at least February. Hollywood Studios rides are all going to be Tier 1 FastPasses with the exception of Star Tours the day that Galaxy's Edge opens. There's just not enough there to spread out the crowds. Epcot is in a horrible state for attractions, Animal Kingdom is still seeing 2.5-3 hour waits for Flight of Passage on a daily basis, and Magic Kingdom won't see anything new open any time soon (never mind reopening existing attractions like the Walt Disney World Railroad).
So prices continue to skyrocket. For me, that $150 increase on my AP means a little more than $11 a month more to visit the parks, which doesn't sound awful, but that adds up to over $45 more for the family each month. We're already spending less time at the parks than we used to for various reasons. When traveling with older folks who can't walk as far, we've started parking at Animal Kingdom and taking the bus to Magic Kingdom to avoid the construction pit formerly known as the TTC. Prices of food and beverages continue to rise to the point where we're spending less time in the parks as well as we just can't afford to drop $50+ on fast food burgers/chicken nuggets for 4 people when we go. It all adds up quickly.
But this is what Disney wants. Those once in a lifetime trip guests are always going to spend more than locals on an average trip. So on a daily basis, they are bigger cash cows than AP holders. Not surprised, just wish that Disney had done a little more of option 1 and built up the parks more.
They really only have two ways of addressing these issues. They can build out a large number of new shows and attractions to absorb the numbers of guests that are visiting the resort, or they can raise prices to the point where fewer people are able to afford to visit. It seems that they've chosen the latter option.
Galaxy's Edge is going to be a huge hit, there's no doubt of that. We're going to see the results from Disneyland when non-resort guests finally get their first look next week. It will be interesting to see how early in the day the "virtual queue" fills up. It will be similarly huge at Hollywood Studios, those 6 AM openings are going to be packed, even in the "slow" month of September. But it's just one ride right now with no real indication of when the second will open. Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway is delayed until at least February. Hollywood Studios rides are all going to be Tier 1 FastPasses with the exception of Star Tours the day that Galaxy's Edge opens. There's just not enough there to spread out the crowds. Epcot is in a horrible state for attractions, Animal Kingdom is still seeing 2.5-3 hour waits for Flight of Passage on a daily basis, and Magic Kingdom won't see anything new open any time soon (never mind reopening existing attractions like the Walt Disney World Railroad).
So prices continue to skyrocket. For me, that $150 increase on my AP means a little more than $11 a month more to visit the parks, which doesn't sound awful, but that adds up to over $45 more for the family each month. We're already spending less time at the parks than we used to for various reasons. When traveling with older folks who can't walk as far, we've started parking at Animal Kingdom and taking the bus to Magic Kingdom to avoid the construction pit formerly known as the TTC. Prices of food and beverages continue to rise to the point where we're spending less time in the parks as well as we just can't afford to drop $50+ on fast food burgers/chicken nuggets for 4 people when we go. It all adds up quickly.
But this is what Disney wants. Those once in a lifetime trip guests are always going to spend more than locals on an average trip. So on a daily basis, they are bigger cash cows than AP holders. Not surprised, just wish that Disney had done a little more of option 1 and built up the parks more.
matt9112
Well-Known Member
option one cuts into revenue though....option 2 costs them nothing.
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Joeamc
Active Member
If you go twice in one calendar year for 6 or 7 days each trip its still worth it
Kman101
Well-Known Member
I was considering upgrading from gold but not anymore. Platinum was raised $150 (for Florida residents). It was hard enough to justify going from silver to gold lol. I should have known the minute I went gold they’d be left out. Are they hoping to price folks out in an effort to control crowds?
matt9112
Well-Known Member
how often is that? sure theres alot of people that do that but tons? i only have silver and i go almost every weekend when i can and so a real stay maybe twice for a single night. a true vacation (6 or 7 days) is once every other year.