Cheaper for UK than US visitors

[Deadmanwalking]

Having heard that free dining was offered to UK folks I was curious about what the prices were... That said I went to Disney's UK and US internet sites and planned identical trips. The net result was a savings of just over 5% for the people booking through the UK site.

So my question is what gives? Is this a common thing? And if it's cheaper booking through their site, I think I'll do it next time anyone else thought of this or done it before?

 

[SteveUK]

I think you may have a point - you might be able to save a little, but I think you have to make considerations for factors such as variations in exchange rates etc. You also need to be a bit careful as certain tickets/packages etc may not be available to all areas. I'm not an expert, but I'm sure one will be along in a minute.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

I think you've hit the nail right on the head with the £-$ exchange rate - make the most of this as the $ hasn't been this weak for a long, long time

 

[eroyee]

Having heard that free dining was offered to UK folks I was curious about what the prices were... That said I went to Disney's UK and US internet sites and planned identical trips. The net result was a savings of just over 5% for the people booking through the UK site.

So my question is what gives? Is this a common thing? And if it's cheaper booking through their site, I think I'll do it next time anyone else thought of this or done it before?

I would think there might be some complications with doing this. maybe you have to actually be from the UK???

 

[Deadmanwalking]

I think you may have a point - you might be able to save a little, but I think you have to make considerations for factors such as variations in exchange rates etc. You also need to be a bit careful as certain tickets/packages etc may not be available to all areas. I'm not an expert, but I'm sure one will be along in a minute.

I adjusted for the exchange rate differences. I can't imagine they check nationality, afterall alot of people living in the UK aren't actually UK citizens.

 

[Deadmanwalking]

I think I'm going to compare prices they offer in other countries... I'm begining to think Disney is treating us poor Americans like the drug companies do, charge us more because they think we can pay it.

Maybe that's why you see so many visitors from other countries at Disney World.

 

[Deadmanwalking]

Okay now I'm getting really annoyed.

For grins I checked at 7 nights at the contemporary with tickets including park hopper and water park... each one was for the exact same days and room types (garden view because it was the only one available in all three countries). And thus Far..

US is just over $4200
UK is just over $4000 (after converting into dollars from pounds)
Canda is $3600 (in US dollars as their web site uses some form of the US site and puts the price in dollars).

So... I guess my next quest will be to brush up on some foreign languages and see if other countries are getting even better deals... thus far.. it must be good to be Canadian.

 

[Lucky]

It could be this is temporary, because the US dollar has been dropping against the Canadian dollar and British pound the last couple of months.

Suppose Disney adjusted the prices today to make them equal. Then movements in the exchange rates would immediately make them unequal again, in one direction or the other. Obviously Disney can't change its prices every day; people would complain. So there will be some inequality on any given day. In the long run it should even out. But if you see prices remaining lower on the UK site for months and years, this theory would be proven wrong.

 

[Deadmanwalking]

It could be this is temporary, because the US dollar has been dropping against the Canadian dollar and British pound the last couple of months.

Suppose Disney adjusted the prices today to make them equal. Then movements in the exchange rates would immediately make them unequal again, in one direction or the other. Obviously Disney can't change its prices every day; people would complain. So there will be some inequality on any given day. In the long run it should even out. But if you see prices remaining lower on the UK site for months and years, this theory would be proven wrong.

I can accept a lag in the exchange rate follow through for the UK to US difference. However, the Canadian price is more baffling as the Canadian site clearly states with a little warning that all prices are in US dollars. That would seem to remove any exchange rate rationale for the drastic discount afforded the folks up North.

 

[dazzer68]

we also get the exclusive uk only 14 day park hopper ticket for the price of seven days!
but hang on were in the uk,we can only go perhaps once a year at the least, where as you usa guys can get a cheap flight to florida all year!

 

[cmatt]

I adjusted for the exchange rate differences. I can't imagine they check nationality, afterall alot of people living in the UK aren't actually UK citizens.

they should really check the ip address and do a simple whois check to see where the ip is located :wave: (i would of thought)

Its probably a promotion thing.... but yes - some of us go over every 2-3 years... so *neurgh* every little helps

 

[tink81]

The packages Disney offers to our friends in the UK and Canada may be a bit cheaper right now, but the cost of airfare for them is substantially greater. PLUS they have to fool around with US Customs and whatnot when they arrive at MCO, and when they get back to their respective countries, so that has to count for something...

 

[Deadmanwalking]

The packages Disney offers to our friends in the UK and Canada may be a bit cheaper right now, but the cost of airfare for them is substantially greater. PLUS they have to fool around with US Customs and whatnot when they arrive at MCO, and when they get back to their respective countries, so that has to count for something...

Well since Disney doesn't operate the airline or customs it shouldn't matter one bit. I imagine Americans flying in from Hawaii travel a heck of a lot further than someone from Montreal.

 

[SteveUK]

I can see your point, but I think you are getting a little too hung up on what is in reality quite a minor difference when all things are considered. Your own comparison of the UK and US price showed a difference of $200. This amounts to maybe around 5% of the total cost of a trip, and in the end, $200 is what?, maybe two hours salary? Not enough to really lose a lot of sleep about surely?

I think you have failed to take into account the all the other various factors that relate to a WDW trip. For example, I had to buy a new passport for my upcoming trip to meet US regulations. This cost me around £70, which is around $130. I could start factoring this into the cost of the trip and sitting with my calculator getting upset about it, but really - is it worth the hassle and worry? If you take the cost of a trip and the individual details so seriously, I think you really run the risk of spoiling the point.

 

[stitchtastic]

Well since Disney doesn't operate the airline or customs it shouldn't matter one bit. I imagine Americans flying in from Hawaii travel a heck of a lot further than someone from Montreal.

This is true, but when considering overseas visitors Disney must consider flight costs or the whole cost would be too prohibitive for "normal" people to consider Disney as a vacation destination. I assume companies such as Virgin are almost paying a kind of "deposit" on each room it has with Disney and then Disney gets £££ whether the room is filled or not. I think Florida is still the number one vacation destination for us Brits and surely the Tourism industry relies on its customers to make its money. We can get a good deal on park passes but I can't say I've seen a free dining plan offer for Disney here in Blighty!! Its really swings and roundabouts but I believe when taking into account exchange rate and flight costs that Americans still get a better deal than us.
:shrug:

 

[KeithVH]

Wait a sec. $4,000-3,600 = another night at a Deluxe.

So lets say you go to the CA site and book a trip and you live in Iowa. Where does the site prevent you from completing the transaction?

 

[MissDiznee66]

Interesting...

 

[stalkingmickey]

How much is a flight from the UK to Orlando?

 

[stitchtastic]

How much is a flight from the UK to Orlando?

I have been looking at flights for this August for a family of 4 with 2 teenagers and it is averaging at around £3000 (that is £ not $). I looked at various UK airports and travelling to MCO and Sanford - there are no good deals around. As pointed out in another thread I've probably left it too late for this year and will stick with my original package deal.
Whilst the exchange rate is so good this will give us more spending power when we are over there, one year when the rate was really bad we found it very expensive - especially in WDW.
Also we don't get to hear of the promotional codes that are talked about on this site. If we are lucky enough to visit again in a couple of years I will definitely look into a DIY package.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

How much is a flight from the UK to Orlando?

This varies on the time of year that you propose to fly. When the UK schools are out on holiday (Easter, Summer and Christmas) an adult return fare (scheduled to Orlando International) is around £800 - £900 return. During the rest of the year you can get the same flight for as low as £350 - £400.
Now you can see why so many British families take their kids out of school