News 2018 ticket price increases

[matt9112]

Many UK and other overseas guests typically vacation in Central Florida for 14-21 days - Disney wants to keep them on property where guest spending is much more profitable than ticket profit.

if your coming to central Florida for 21 days and don't leave Disney property your doing something very wrong. IMHO and yeah I get that but I don't think changing the ticket scheme would curtail that...UK guests already spend far more on guest spending as you said i think there's money on the table. take them to the cleaners twice.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

if your coming to central Florida for 21 days and don't leave Disney property your doing something very wrong. IMHO and yeah I get that but I don't think changing the ticket scheme would curtail that...UK guests already spend far more on guest spending as you said i think there's money on the table. take them to the cleaners twice.

For most people, seven days is enough time at WDW. When I do more days than that it's because the extra days are almost "free".

Most people will not pay full price again for an eigth, ninth, tenth, day etc. They'll find other things to do, and Disney doesn't want that.

 

[The_Jobu]

My gut tells me:

- There will be a healthy increase in ticket prices this year, and a gluttonous ticket price increase next year. They will undoubtedly raise ticket prices prior to guests being able to book for the anticipated opening of SW:GE, so we could see 2 or 3 ticket price increases before then.
- Prices for Annual Passes are going to jump even more than 1-10 day park passes in the same time frame.
- Current "peak" pricing could be extended to all 4 theme parks
- "Peak" ticket prices could meet or exceed $150/day within 2 years

Just imagine a late 2019/early 2020 Walt Disney World commercial:

"You just took out a second mortgage on your house, what are you going to do next?"

"I'm going to Disney World!!!"

Between now and Star Wars and between Star Wars and the 50th, there may be some decent price hikes.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Between now and Star Wars and between Star Wars and the 50th, there may be some decent price hikes.

Yep. There's a cash cow being built, and Disney's gonna milk it for everything it can. $150/day could be the "Value season" ticket price come late 2019.

Something else to chew on. An adult 7 day park hopper:

In 2007 - $264
In 2017 - $485

An 84% increase in price.

 

[John park hopper]

Some one in the know please explain the need for price increases when attendence is way up (higher profits) and it does not appear more staff has been added or amenities increased (if anything maybe lessened). I liken this to my hometown; the population is exploding with developments thus a larger tax base but the political robber barons keep raising the property taxes.

 

[DznyGrlSD]

Some one in the know please explain the need for price increases when attendence is way up (higher profits) and it does not appear more staff has been added or amenities increased (if anything maybe lessened). I liken this to my hometown; the population is exploding with developments thus a larger tax base but the political robber barons keep raising the property taxes.

 

[mikejs78]

Some one in the know please explain the need for price increases when attendence is way up (higher profits) and it does not appear more staff has been added or amenities increased (if anything maybe lessened). I liken this to my hometown; the population is exploding with developments thus a larger tax base but the political robber barons keep raising the property taxes.

It's simple. To try to drop attendance without sacrificing revenue and increasing profit.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Some one in the know please explain the need for price increases when attendence is way up (higher profits) and it does not appear more staff has been added or amenities increased (if anything maybe lessened). I liken this to my hometown; the population is exploding with developments thus a larger tax base but the political robber barons keep raising the property taxes.

TPTB want to lower attendance at MK, so charging higher prices is their way of attempting to achieve that goal. Margins, you know.

Edit: A bigger population alone means higher property taxes for homeowners. A city needs at least more commercial development, and ideally industrial development as well, in order to spread the property tax burden out. My city is in that boat - A growing population, but little commercial development to go along with it.

 

[skibum123]

I'm sure someone on here keeps an annual list on the day that Disney raises praises each year, right? I feel like I've seen it before.

 

[HauntedPirate]

I'm sure someone on here keeps an annual list on the day that Disney raises praises each year, right? I feel like I've seen it before.

I don't personally keep a list, but I know who does.

Feb. 12, 2017
Feb. 28, 2016
Feb. 22, 2015
Feb. 23, 2014
June 2, 2013

 

[wdwmagic]

I'm sure someone on here keeps an annual list on the day that Disney raises praises each year, right? I feel like I've seen it before.

The last 7 years of price changing is at at https://www.wdwmagic.com/other/magic-your-way-ticket/news.htm

 

[larryz]

Is there any evidence that attendance has increased so much that they need to take this pricing strategy?

Apparently, they're still looking for the top of the range where people say "that's just too expensive."

 

[disneyflush]

Apparently, they're still looking for the top of the range where people say "that's just too expensive."

Step into Disney's shoes and try to put a number on what the 'that's just too expensive' amount would be for a 4-day park ticket. Would 90% of the current guests pay $1,000 for a 4-day park ticket? Probably. Would 50% of the guests pay $300 per day? Probably.

People have the mentality of being relieved if the price only goes up by 5% each year. No one cancels because of it. Attendance has never been higher. What percentage of Star Wars fans would not go if the difference to get into DHS in 2020 was $250/day instead of say $130/day? 15% or less?

We have seen price increases the last 10 years that would cripple most businesses. Small things, late night experiences, morning experiences, backstage this, hard ticket there, etc., its the perfect storm of factors. In 2 years ESPN will have been losing subscribers long enough that Wall Street is going to want Disney to provide another profit hero. Star Wars Land, even in a vacuum inside of the WDW bubble, is going to push prices to the point of insanity. Everyone will pay though. Tours for the land will sell out almost immediately at whatever price point it is. The same way WDW is the dream trip for kids, SWL will be the dream trip for adults with disposable incomes. No price will be too much.

 

[MaximumEd]

Star Wars Mini-Land is gonna need a lot more than 2 rides before I’d go that far.

 

[jpeden]

Step into Disney's shoes and try to put a number on what the 'that's just too expensive' amount would be for a 4-day park ticket. Would 90% of the current guests pay $1,000 for a 4-day park ticket? Probably. Would 50% of the guests pay $300 per day? Probably.

People have the mentality of being relieved if the price only goes up by 5% each year. No one cancels because of it. Attendance has never been higher. What percentage of Star Wars fans would not go if the difference to get into DHS in 2020 was $250/day instead of say $130/day? 15% or less?

We have seen price increases the last 10 years that would cripple most businesses. Small things, late night experiences, morning experiences, backstage this, hard ticket there, etc., its the perfect storm of factors. In 2 years ESPN will have been losing subscribers long enough that Wall Street is going to want Disney to provide another profit hero. Star Wars Land, even in a vacuum inside of the WDW bubble, is going to push prices to the point of insanity. Everyone will pay though. Tours for the land will sell out almost immediately at whatever price point it is. The same way WDW is the dream trip for kids, SWL will be the dream trip for adults with disposable incomes. No price will be too much.

Yeah even for a hardcore fan like me I would not be going at those prices. $200 a day would mean my AP would probably be $2000/person. I feel like I can justify $700 because we go a decent bit, but the $1000/person is probably my breaking point for an AP

 

[The_Jobu]

This is why I'm trying to book a trip this year, to get one last one in before things start really going nuts.

 

[biggy H]

UK guests who go to Florida for 2 or more weeks tend to stay in rental homes and split thier time between Disney and Universal and not just going to and staying at Disney.
Disney have in the past reduced UK 14 day tickets by 25% for a few months last year as well as reducing APs for DVC members so they can reduce them when they want. Must admit they haven't been permanent reductions though.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

If the economy tanks at any point, they'll offer discounts for limited time periods rather than lower the prices (similar to the Kohl's model). That way they don't have to lower prices, and can offer discounts until the economy rebounds.

Kinda like they did for 5 years during the housing bubble recession?...the worse economic slide since the dust bowl?

...the "while Europe slept" moment for wdw consumers.

I could go on and on...but I won't

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

TWDC is on record as wanting higher ticket prices to lower attendance.

...is there anybody out there that honestly believes that for a second?

 

[King Panda 77]

UK guests who go to Florida for 2 or more weeks tend to stay in rental homes and split thier time between Disney and Universal and not just going to and staying at Disney.
Disney have in the past reduced UK 14 day tickets by 25% for a few months last year as well as reducing APs for DVC members so they can reduce them when they want. Must admit they haven't been permanent reductions though.

~Your proof of this ?