TikibirdLand
Well-Known Member
Seems we already have one with Dollywood / Silver Dollar City / Gatlinburg. Was watching a few videos of the area. That may be a vacation in my future...
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2022 ticket price “increase”
- Thread starter HauntedPirate
- Start date
Frank the Tank
Active Member
To this point, I believe that there's plenty of local/regional competition to Disney World already. Beyond the Smoky Mountains area, see Hershey Park in the East, Cedar Point and Wisconsin Dells in the Midwest, the Southern California theme parks on the West Coast, etc.
The disconnect is that most of the complaints here seem to be that Disney World has been continuously pricing themselves upmarket, yet for many people, that's a *feature* (not a bug) compared to local competition (outside of Southern California). People might not say that explicitly, but it's reflected in their actions. I live in the Chicago area and love Six Flags Great America as a theme park fan and Wisconsin Dells for the water parks, but part of the attraction of Disney World despite those local options is that it's specifically a premium experience by comparison. It's like comparing local casinos to the Las Vegas Strip - playing blackjack might be exactly the same in both places, but the overall ambience is completely different and that's why people (at least in normal non-pandemic times) continue to see Vegas as a unique vacation destination. Similarly, the typical Six Flags park actually has a better slate of thrill rides than Disney World, yet Disney World is simply a very different overall experience that goes beyond the rides themselves. Frankly, part of it *is* that it still feels more like a premium experience compared to local parks - it's the theming of the parks, the quality of resorts, the top shelf IP that the local parks can never have access to, etc.
Now, could Disney be in danger of charging premium prices for what is increasingly a non-premium experience? That's certainly possible. However, at least in pre-pandemic times, there wasn't any evidence that rising prices was really reducing attendance much at all. Disney World demand seemed pretty inelastic to price increases, which might not be great for me as a consumer but quite attractive for me as a stockholder.
To the extent that there isn't local competition to Disney World, it's that there isn't a true *upmarket* local alternative anywhere outside of Southern California (where Disney and Universal also already have firm positions). There's plenty of local middle market theme park competition already. Of course, it doesn't seem that the goal of this discussion is to create local theme parks that are actually *more* expensive than Disney World.
Those are two, although I never spend a week in Branson (that’s a long weekend appropriate visit.) I would also add Busch Gardens Williamsburg/Water Country USA/Colonial Williamsburg, Sea World/Six Flags Fiesta Texas/Schlitterbahn in the San Antonio area as other easy week long destinations. For long weekend destinations I would add Cedar Point, and Hersheypark/Hershey, PA as great theme park focused places to visit.
bcoachable
Well-Known Member
I can speak to “steal your dollar city” (our families affectionate name for the place)-
It is fantastic! The Hirschend family did an amazing job setting this place up. The cave is super cool. Theming is on point. The employees are taken care of and thus take care of the park as if it were their’s. There is a nice mix of rides, from tame to extreme thrill coasters- Branson may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is interesting, to say the least! Worth a trip for any theme park fan at least once to check it out. Post a report if you go!!
bcoachable
Well-Known Member
All great suggestions:
DM me to anyone who decides to do Schliterbahn, and I can recommend a few other things in that area.
bcoachable
Well-Known Member
Walt Disney World has created a resort feel, with theme parks to visit while your at the resort. I think that is their accelerator for success. None of the others you mention seem to have that “resort style” feel down as awesome as disney does, yet... even Universal Orlando struggles with this- That “Blessing of Size” that was so important to Uncle Walt was a big deal in developing that resort feel.
great dialogue, btw- thanks!
DisneyHead123
Well-Known Member
I agree with bcoachable in that I think a lot of what people are responding to with Disney is the resort vibe, not necessarily the rides in and of themselves (I thought I read a comment somewhere on this board that Disney had put some of its services in place because it was losing customers to places like Sandals resorts at one point, which would support this theory.)
The reason I think local spots are the natural complimentary competition in this dynamic is that there is a huge bonus just to being local. Traveling cross country, increasingly, sucks. There is a built in benefit to not having to take a long flight and coordinate airport transportation, especially when it's crowded, or when it's hot, which is often in Florida. And scenic splendor is basically free so long as the land is accessible - a land like Pandora is amazing, but one has to spend heck knows how much money artificially creating it. Nature, on the other hand, you don't have to build, you just have to allow access to what's already there. Granted, nature does not come equipped with things like water slides, mini golf and cotton candy topped slushies, which is, quite frankly, a huge oversight on nature's part, ha ha. But you can bring a trend-o-riffic food cart and a ferris wheel to scenic wonder a lot faster than you can bring scenic wonder to a food cart. Add a winery, a quaint town, a historical site, outdoor yoga and some manner of exotic "I spend my money on experiences, not things" local adventure that is easily posted on Instagram, and I think you've got a good destination spot going. I don't think those kinds of destinations are every going to compete with Disney parks at a scale that would be worrisome for the future of the parks, but hopefully they will offer enough competition that Disney isn't almost forced to keep doing huge price increases just for crowd controls sake.
Frank the Tank
Active Member
Oh, I agree. I think that's also why Las Vegas is seen as a different animal compared to a local casino with the sheer scale and feeling of being in an entirely different bubble. On the other end, there are certainly very nice resort towns with direct access to natural amenities (e.g. Jackson Hole, WY or Lake Tahoe), but hotel prices in those locations during high season make Disney World look downright cheap.
The "Blessing of Size" is something that may simply be impossible to replicate in the United States in this point. In terms of land area, Disney World is about the same size as the entire City of San Francisco. Obtaining a plot of buildable land that size that's anywhere near any decent-sized metro area in the US likely doesn't exist and, even if it did, it would be prohibitively expensive (where that land would be much more valuable for other purposes). Disney World was built in the right place at the right time - it couldn't ever be built at the scale that it's at in today's world.
DisneyHead123
Well-Known Member
My curiosity was piqued after talking about it here so I Googled resort trends in the US and found this article... interesting to see what's happening growth wise in this field. Meow Wolf House and Evermore park look amazing! I hadn't heard the term "Immersive Entertainment" before but it definitely captures what I think so many people are looking for these days.
CaptainAmerica
Premium Member
The other factor that distorts price perception is that you're paying an outsize share of your vacation money to a single company when you're at WDW. If you spend a week in New York City, you might pay $2,500 at Hilton, $2,000 to 20 different restaurants, $2,000 to various theaters and museums, and $1,500 to various stores.
That doesn't *feel* as bad as paying $8,000 to Disney even though you're spending the same amount on the same stuff.
That doesn't *feel* as bad as paying $8,000 to Disney even though you're spending the same amount on the same stuff.
bcoachable
Well-Known Member
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BernardandBianca
Well-Known Member
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bcoachable
Well-Known Member
It’s a start!
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I don't understand how anyone can spend that much. Realizing that it was 2008 but I paid for round trip from Vermont airfare for 7 people, had two additional car rentals plus my own, paid for nine (7) day park hoppers, rented I six bedroom villa complete with Florida, screened in room with private pool and hot tub, full kitchen, laundry, game room, flat screen color TV's in every room, There were 11 of us total, we shared grocery expense, but when eating out we paid for our own, I paid for one total group once, and again for Hoop dee doo Revue. I had driven down a few days in advance with my own car, so there was that cost plus extra hotels And that cost me $7400.00 for the week.
Frank the Tank
Active Member
It sounds like your trip was closer in nature to the NYC trip that Captain America was referring to (where you were paying multiple parties in the Orlando area for food and lodging as opposed to primarily Disney). Speaking from experience, it's unfortunately not very hard to spend that much or more for a week for a family of 4 today that's actually on Disney World property and I'm just about talking Art of Animation value hotel level (much less the more expensive resorts). To be sure, you can save money by staying off property and buying groceries for meals, but for a "standard" trip that's on property and with the Dining Plan or paying for meals a la carte within Disney World, it adds up pretty quick. Those are just the fixed costs of hotels, park passes, meals and transportation. Purchasing other items such as souvenirs is more variable depending upon the family.
I think a whole trip for 6 people in one of the value family suites with free dining and 5 day hoppers was a few hundred dollars more than just the tickets are today. That wasn't even a decade ago prob 2013. The fact that actual deals are pretty much non existent has also be a pretty significant price hike for a lot of people.
I am a pretty big fan of dollywood. I think people would be pretty satisfied spending a week in the area. I have seen numerous vlogger type people in orlando come away impressed. Not saying a place like that is a replacement for Disney but alternatives certainly could be a way for people to cut back on the time and money spent at disney.
I am a pretty big fan of dollywood. I think people would be pretty satisfied spending a week in the area. I have seen numerous vlogger type people in orlando come away impressed. Not saying a place like that is a replacement for Disney but alternatives certainly could be a way for people to cut back on the time and money spent at disney.
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Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
If it helps any, console yourself in the likely chance you spent less money then you would have had you gone instead to WDW.
It used to cost me considerably less to fly coast to coast to CA and stay / visit Disneyland for a week then it was to fly two hours on my own coast to Florida and stay / visit WDW for only three days.
People have a hard time believing it, but over the last few years of trips it's been true.
The extreme difference in total cost is primarily rooming options.
Disneyland has far more budget friendly options then WDW ....at least in my experience.
Ditto for dining options.
Disneyland rules!
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It used to cost me considerably less to fly coast to coast to CA and stay / visit Disneyland for a week then it was to fly two hours on my own coast to Florida and stay / visit WDW for only three days.
People have a hard time believing it, but over the last few years of trips it's been true.
The extreme difference in total cost is primarily rooming options.
Disneyland has far more budget friendly options then WDW ....at least in my experience.
Ditto for dining options.
Disneyland rules!
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SamusAranX
Well-Known Member
Not to mention, you can count on your hands how many truly good rides are at WDW but not DL. Pandora, Everest, Slinky Dog (debatable), test track. What else I miss?If it helps any, console yourself in the likely chance you spent less money then you would have had you gone instead to WDW.
It used to cost me considerably less to fly coast to coast to CA and stay / visit Disneyland for a week then it was to fly two hours on my own coast to Florida and stay / visit WDW for only three days.
People have a hard time believing it, but over the last few years of trips it's been true.
The extreme difference in total cost is primarily rooming options.
Disneyland has far more budget friendly options then WDW ....at least in my experience.
Ditto for dining options.
Disneyland rules!
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Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
I will take Disneyland's versions of most Attractions in comparison.
'Indiana Jones Adventure' for the win.
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'Indiana Jones Adventure' for the win.
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