$79 Base Ticket

[TalkingHead]

This is the most meaningful post in this thread. Congrats on proving you hav a high school diploma.

I agree totally.

In fact, like many have said before, raise the prices more. I would gladly pay 30% more to deal with 30% less guests.

Would pay 30% more to experience the same stale Walmart product?

 

[misterID]

The logic is: if attendance is the same or up from last year but no one is buying anything, then just raise the ticket rates -- because people are still coming... Even if they were coming because of discounts.

This isn't just hikes to one day tickets but resort/ticket packages.

My family has had interactions with team disney for a long time, and I'm not saying this as an insult, but the people in charge of WDW are not who you want running your business. Very well educated, yes. But very ignorant in real world business. If you only knew how much they've screwed up that people don't know about... Unfortunately they're still living off the Eisner philosophy and a lot of people got put into positions they don't belong.

This is what happens when you run a business solely based on keeping expenses down to make a profit. It never works. And that's what they do. Resorts will suffer the most.

This is why McDonalds flourishes through economic downturns and Starbucks closes stores. One creates a dollar menu and another raises prices.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I'm not defending the raise in prices, but given the structure of ticket prices, Disney rewards people if they commit to more than a 3 day vacation. Granted those prices went up as well, but I know personally I've never purchased a one day, one park pass.

 

[lightboy]

The logic is: if attendance is the same or up from last year but no one is buying anything, then just raise the ticket rates -- because people are still coming... Even if they were coming because of discounts.

This isn't just hikes to one day tickets but resort/ticket packages.

My family has had interactions with team disney for a long time, and I'm not saying this as an insult, but the people in charge of WDW are not who you want running your business. Very well educated, yes. But very ignorant in real world business. If you only knew how much they've screwed up that people don't know about... Unfortunately they're still living off the Eisner philosophy and a lot of people got put into positions they don't belong.

This is what happens when you run a business solely based on keeping expenses down to make a profit. It never works. And that's what they do. Resorts will suffer the most.

This is why McDonalds flourishes through economic downturns and Starbucks closes stores. One creates a dollar menu and another raises prices.

Loved this post. And he's right on the money as well. As a few others have said...Disney WILL outprice themselves. The bubble will break. Not now, definitely not now. But later. This is the first of many.

And I promise you will not see any more of your ticket price going for new or updated attractions. It will be going strictly to make up for lost profit.

And they will fail. Unfortunately.

American Greed In Its Finest.

 

[jakeman]

Disney will charge what they feel what the market can bear.

They feel that the market can bear a price increase right now.

That's pretty much the story.

Time will tell if they are right or wrong. So far their attendance doesn't seem to be affected by past price increases.

As for greed, they are a company that deals in pretty much an exclusively in a product that every single person can do without. Their whole model is built on taking people's extra money. If any company can be outright "greedy" for lack of a better term, why not one that has no bearing on anything but disposable income? No one has to go to Disney, purchase their products, or watch their channels. This isn't a drug company or a car company or another company that deals in anything that remotely affects way of life. It's an entertainment company.

If they are greedy for taking your money, aren't you selfish for not spending your money for the betterment of society?

 

[coastermaster83]

see here is my view on it. Just like the movie theaters and the video stores and all the other industry's out there that are whining about loss of sales in the market. STOP RAISING YOUR PRICES, if you want people to come do what cedar point and others have figured out, lowering the cost brings them in the door. I mean lets look at this my wife and i started dating in the early 2000s and we both could eat and see a movie together and get a soda at the theater all for 20 bucks, now jump ahead just a few short years and that same date would cost us almost 50 bucks. Its freaking nuts, you want to put butts in the theater seats stop charging 10 bucks a person bring it back down to 5 or so. Most family's to see a movie would have to spend 100 bucks if they got food and everything. I think its more corporate greed then supply and demand, now I'm not saying they shouldn't be able to make some money but just like in this case raising prices in a recession, greed or justified you decide. :wave::wave:

Oh and dont get me started on the music company's, cd's have gone up and up and they just keep blaming pirating instead of owning up to their greed.:sohappy::hammer::sohappy::wave:

 

[BuzzComplexCM]

I love Disney and everything it stands for. If I didn't I would have never moved to Kissimmee and got a job at WDW. However, this is pure greed. I understand that Disney is trying to have people frown upon a one day ticket and move to a multi-day ticket, but there are some people who come to Central Florida and do more than just Disney.

Last month I spent a day with my fiancee at Universal. We both purchased a 1 day 2 park ticket with the unlimited express ride option and it cost us over 200, since we are Florida residents. IMO, this is a better deal than 2 people buying a one day one park pass to WDW. We were able to split our day up nicely, 6 hours in each park, and we were also able to ride the big ones as many times as we wanted. So, the extra difference in the price made up for it.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

I love Disney and everything it stands for. If I didn't I would have never moved to Kissimmee and got a job at WDW. However, this is pure greed. I understand that Disney is trying to have people frown upon a one day ticket and move to a multi-day ticket, but there are some people who come to Central Florida and do more than just Disney.

Last month I spent a day with my fiancee at Universal. We both purchased a 1 day 2 park ticket with the unlimited express ride option and it cost us over 200, since we are Florida residents. IMO, this is a better deal than 2 people buying a one day one park pass to WDW. We were able to split our day up nicely, 6 hours in each park, and we were also able to ride the big ones as many times as we wanted. So, the extra difference in the price made up for it.

You provided a great example of what I was describing earlier. By your personal choice, you paid $200 to go to a theme park for one day. Now it was not Disney, but because it was what you wanted, it was considered a fair price for your entertainment (as it should be).

And on an unrelated angle, I'm sure Seaworld and Universal will be raising their prices within a few weeks...guess Disney will get blamed for that as well...

 

[PirateFrank]

I'll pay Disney's prices - but they are not reacting to inflation: they are CAUSING inflation.

Not meant to be a jerk, but I'm not so sure that the price of a disney ticket is factored into the CPI.

And I promise you will not see any more of your ticket price going for new or updated attractions. It will be going strictly to make up for lost profit.

Um, aren't they planning a huge MK-FL upgrade?


Listen, I'm not defending raising prices...as at the end of the day, I'm an end user/consumer. But afaik, Disney's been raising prices every year like clockwork. So it's not like this is a surprise.

 

[JACKNAG]

1971

entry price MK $3.50
& tik book
with 2 E tickets $4.75
extra Etik.90x 6=$5.40 (1971= 8 e atracctions)

Total cost 1971 day = $13.65

Min wage 1971= $1.60

$13.65(1day cost)/$1.60(1971 min wage) =8.53(8.53=factor times min wage)


2009 min wage $7.25
$7.25x(8.53(1971 factor) =$61.85

2009 one dayticket price should be $61.85 all things equal
Funky math I know but everything should always correlate to the minimum wage at the time

 

[Montyboy]

It's not funky math at all. By knowing how much time someone has to work to pay for something, we know how much it costs in real wages.

 

[Orange Bird]

Not meant to be a jerk, but I'm not so sure that the price of a disney ticket is factored into the CPI.

I think he is suggesting that Disney is exhibiting the kind of behavior commen in corporate America that contributes to inflation.

Um, aren't they planning a huge MK-FL upgrade?

Yes, that should be open in about 3 years. So how does this justify the ticket price bump now?

Listen, I'm not defending raising prices...as at the end of the day, I'm an end user/consumer. But afaik, Disney's been raising prices every year like clockwork. So it's not like this is a surprise.

No, sadly it's not a surprise.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Last month I spent a day with my fiancee at Universal. We both purchased a 1 day 2 park ticket with the unlimited express ride option and it cost us over 200, since we are Florida residents.

You provided a great example of what I was describing earlier. By your personal choice, you paid $200 to go to a theme park for one day.

That was the price for two theme parks. I think his point is that it doesn't cost much more to park hop at Universal than to spend the day in one Disney park.

 

[MissM]

That was the price for two theme parks. I think his point is that it doesn't cost much more to park hop at Universal than to spend the day in one Disney park.

It's actually cheaper to hop at Universal right now:

Online ticket price 1day/2 parks Universal: $89.99 (in person: $94.99)
Ticket price 1 day/park hop WDW: $131
(both are non-FL resident prices)

That's quite a bit different. AND, Universal is running a Unlimited access to both parks for 7 days, $99 special.

I'm not a big Universal fan but apples-to-apples, the perception that Disney is really expensive isn't far from the mark. I can easily see how people are going to be turned off by the one day price and the rate hike in general. :shrug:

 

[flynnibus]

It's actually cheaper to hop at Universal right now:

Online ticket price 1day/2 parks Universal: $89.99 (in person: $94.99)
Ticket price 1 day/park hop WDW: $131
(both are non-FL resident prices)

That's quite a bit different. AND, Universal is running a Unlimited access to both parks for 7 days, $99 special.

The difference is... you only spend 1-2 days at UNI - you need to spend 5-10 days at Disney. Making the 1-2 day pricing at UNI significant.. and the same 1-2 day pricing at Disney much less significant.

$99 for 7 days seems like a great deal... if you actually wanted to be there (and not somewhere else) for 7 days.

All the huff and puff over the single day prices at Disney are all a show and dance. It's more impression then it is practical.

 

[TestTrack]

http://www.chacha.com/question/how-much-money-does-disney-make-a-year

You can scroll to the bottom to read:

Disney made 35.51 Billion dollars last year. ChaCha!!!

http://www.disney-dreams.net/disneycompany.php


Now thats revenue, but still, that's a heck of a lot!

As I said, they made 4.5 Billion. Revenue means nothing. You can "make" 45 Billion and end up with a loss. So in profit terms you then have to look at it in terms of their investment. If you invested $100 and made $100, you've only made $100 in profit but you've gained 100%. That's a huge gain. Disney invested their money and made 7.5% which, as I stated, is fairly standard. They didn't make a ridiculous sum as saying they made 35 billion dollars seems to imply.

 

[EpcotServo]

The Price Change does apply to the Birthday Fun Card!

How nice of them to start giving more money ON my Birthday.
:drevil:

 

[hack2112]

$99 for 7 days seems like a great deal... if you actually wanted to be there (and not somewhere else) for 7 days.

I want to be there for 7 days.

 

[Skip]

I want to be there for 7 days.

Yeah, I'd love to be there for 7 days. Tons of relaxation, big long meals, as many rides as you care to enjoy? :shrug:

Keep in mind though that Universal's ticket prices are undoubtedly going to rise as well. I never really understood that - why do the other two resorts (Sea World and Universal) raise their rates as well? It seems to me like they'd get far better press, not to mention happier customers, if they just ONCE didn't raise their prices.

 

[fosse76]

I dont think its that bad. Universal is $75 a day for ONE park, and $95 a day for BOTH parks.

Now if I were to guess that if people were only at Disney for one day, they'd go to the Magic Kingdom. The Magic Kingdom has somewhere between 35-40 attractions.

The problem is that Disney considers everything that isn't a restaurant or shop an attraction, and is really misleading by public perception. Mots people in the public wouldn't consider parades or fireworks shows a "countable" attraction, nor do they count lining up in a tent to meet Mickey Mouse an attraction...but Disney does. The public usually defines an attraction as a ride of some kind...in which case Disney would have 28 (including animatronic shows).

But let's say your comparison works with the Magic Kingdom. It won't work if your example changes to the other three parks instead. If you want to do more than 1 park at Disney in one day you have to add the hopper...which is $50.00. So it's $130 for two or more parks at Disney. Now you can argue that four parks for $130 is better than two parks at $96, I would argue that the other three parks don't offer enough additional attractions to get the value, nor is it really possible to do the four parks in a day without skipping a good portion of those attractions.

The Six Flags park I worked at has 35 major rides, not including small kiddie rides...and is HALF the cost of admission to Disney. While it isn't Disney, these aren't cheap carnival rides either. I didn't include parades, shows, or meet-n-greets.

I definitely find the better value at Six Flags...but unlike Disney, Six Flags isn't marketing destination travelers.

Now if you went to Universal for a day and spent $95 for both parks, you're only getting around 36 attractions.

Basically the number of attractions is the same but you're paying about $15 more for a day at both parks at Universal than a day at the Magic Kingdom.

So honestly, Disney is still the cheeper choice if people are having a deciding factor to spend either a day at Universal or a day at Disney. Now obviously it changes if you go to a different Disney park but you get the point I'm making.

But another factor you ignore is the type of attractions as well. While some people think the themeing alone is enough to justifies Disney's prices, others will say the overall experience should be the total factor. If you were to take any one of Disney's well-themed attractions such as Pirates or the Haunted Mansion and stick them AS IS in a Six Flags park, I guarantee that those rides would be a walk-on after the first or second seaon never to see a long line again. What works for one park doesn't work for another.

I don't think raising the prices will hurt people going to Disney, especially when comparing them to their biggest competitor.

My question is and will always be: how much money does Disney lose (i.e., not get) from day travelers who don't see Disney as a bargain, but who might see Universal as a better bargain? Disney should offer two types of one day tickets: an un-upgradeable 1-day admission for two parks at $80.00. It would attract day-travelers but also would prevent people from upgrading this ticket to try and save money.

So honestly its a win-win for Disney. People aren't going to want to pay higher prices for only a day, so they'll stay longer. And if they do the math and decide between Universal and Disney to spend only one day at, they'll learn that Disney is the cheaper route. *Again if they chose to spend their one day at the Magic Kingdom, which I believe the majority would.

You're making a broad assumption though that a day traveler would find the attractions at Disney better than those at Universal. I've known many people that prefer the nature of Universal's (and Six Flags for that matter) to be better than Disney's. While Disney does have a few food thrill rides, a lot of people find Disney mostly for kids.

The issue isn't even so much value, but greed. Disney raise prices every year, despite rarely adding anything "new" (and refurbs don't count since Disney should be maintaining what they have on a regular basis anyways). And the fact is the prices go into effect when a good number of attractions are closed, so people are getting less value for their money. Someone who goes in January is getting a lot less for their money than someone who will go in June.