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?

 

[Monty]

thus far.. it must be good to be Canadian.

Was there ever any doubt? :wave:

 

[Pippa]

I saved about £800 pounds booking everything separately rather than a Virgin package.
Flights with Virgin during the online sale
Coronado Springs and 14 day ticket with Disney online
Insurance with Virgin online
Gatwick Airport hotel through a friend who is a travel agent using her discount
Busch/Seaworld Tickets special deal online
Spending money is a breeze as yesterday I got some $$$ for $1.91 to the £!!!

Easy peasy!!

 

[Tigerdaly]

How much is a flight from the UK to Orlando?

To travel from the UK would cost approximately £600 per adult traveling with a scheduled airline in the high season down to £300 per adult in low season.
Traveling to Sanford on a charter flight might save £100 but theres no food on flights etc:
I travel on Virgin when hopping over the pond and normally book via a trusted Flight agent. So many people book straight from a brochure and complain at the price. I have sat next people on the same flight and paid half of there fare just by looking and checking. Which is the figure I believe the post was who pays £3000 for 2 adults and 2 teenagers........................:ROFLOL:
What ever the price the trip and price is worth a bit of Disney magic.

 

[Tigerdaly]

Just to add............................ Self booked holidays by far outstrip a packaged holiday.
Anyone who books with a brochure or full packaged price must have money to burn..........
Happy Holidays

 

[DARREN DOOZER]

I cant believe that an American would moan about pricing. You dont know how lucky you are, everything is so cheap there, We pay about double the price on nearly everything in the U.K as apposed to the U.S, except of course holidays to wdw!

 

[Deadmanwalking]

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.

I wouldn't worry much about $200, but if you'll look at the Canada vs US price the Canadians are getting a $600 dollar discount.

Overall I get a sense that folks from the UK are being alittle defensive about this which is odd. I'm annoyed at Disney for trying to squeeze Americans simply because we are Americans, I have no problem with folks in the UK or Canada. I'm just trying to figure out why Disney is trying to soak Americans. I hear all the banter about it costs us (Brits) more but in reality it doesn't cost you any more than a lot of Americans to get there, sure people that live on the east side of the US can get there cheaper but people out west aren't as lucky, not to mention they already give UK folks the free dining which more than makes up for any difference in airfare they are trying to adjust for...

I'm just trying to figure out if this is a trend, and if it is I'll gladly start booking my trips through Canada.

 

[Deadmanwalking]

I cant believe that an American would moan about pricing. You dont know how lucky you are, everything is so cheap there, We pay about double the price on nearly everything in the U.K as apposed to the U.S, except of course holidays to wdw!

You forget one major point, we pay high income taxes to the government, in the UK those taxes are collected as a VAT tax which inflates the price. If you strip out the VAT tax on items in the UK and compare them to US prices they are pretty close to the same. Its just the methods of taxation being different gives the impression that we are cheaper. Well we are cheaper for someone that comes from the UK or another VAT country. From my perspective I give up about 30% of my pay check to the government in taxes before I cash it.

 

[MPitzen]

You forget one major point, we pay high income taxes to the government, in the UK those taxes are collected as a VAT tax which inflates the price. If you strip out the VAT tax on items in the UK and compare them to US prices they are pretty close to the same. Its just the methods of taxation being different gives the impression that we are cheaper. Well we are cheaper for someone that comes from the UK or another VAT country. From my perspective I give up about 30% of my pay check to the government in taxes before I cash it.

What makes you think that we don't have taxes as well?


Also, I can't find the quote anymore but someone from the UK mentioned that the $200 price difference should be equal to less than 2 hours of salary... what world are you living in? I'm sorry but if we're on this board trying to get good deals then it's not because we're making over $100/hour. If you hadn't notice most of us have talked about saving for months (not 2 days).
Which brings me to my next point... if you're making something equivalent to $100/hour then what are you complaining about the price differences for?


Sorry if that seemed harsh... it just bothers me when people say that we in the US don't know anything about another country or culture and then themselves act clueless.

 

[morgan22]

You forget one major point, we pay high income taxes to the government, in the UK those taxes are collected as a VAT tax which inflates the price. If you strip out the VAT tax on items in the UK and compare them to US prices they are pretty close to the same. Its just the methods of taxation being different gives the impression that we are cheaper. Well we are cheaper for someone that comes from the UK or another VAT country. From my perspective I give up about 30% of my pay check to the government in taxes before I cash it.

This is really straying from your original post I know but we don't just pay the 17.5% VAT on goods - we too pay a large percentage of our wage to our government in taxes (plus National Insurance which I actually think is a good thing - rather have a National Health Service than have to pay insurance!)

Being a travel agent myself - I often check US websites for deals and most of the time have found the US equivalents to be cheaper (particularly when it comes to hotels) expedia.com / hotels.com etc etc compared with expedia.co.uk / hotels.co.uk - of course that is probably because of the weak dollar at the mo so I was very surprised to hear Disney direct is cheaper for us Brits.... especially for accomodation (i always knew our ticket packages were more economical but this is because the average British visitor stays in Orlando for 14nts and so would utilise a 14day ticket where most Americans vacation for a shorter period- or so I believe)

 

[Dwarful]

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?

Unfortunately, many people in the US don't make anywhere near $100 an hour even before taxes. I live in the midwest and right before Christmas it was announced that two auto manufacturers were closing down plants in our area in favor of plants in Mexico, then GE did the same thing and finally a long standing mold makers shop closed as well. This resulted in several thousands of job losses. I don't work, I stay home with my girls but I know my husband isn't making $200 an hour...I wish!

Side note though, we have dear friends in Jersey, who always end up needing more luggage after they have visited us because they buy so much to take home. Mostly because things are cheaper here than in Jersey. Of course that $200 savings wouldn't even cover their family costs from Jersey to England to Orlando. So, I don't really think Americans are getting cheated by Disney.

 

[SteveUK]

I wouldn't worry much about $200, but if you'll look at the Canada vs US price the Canadians are getting a $600 dollar discount.

Overall I get a sense that folks from the UK are being alittle defensive about this which is odd. I'm annoyed at Disney for trying to squeeze Americans simply because we are Americans, I have no problem with folks in the UK or Canada. I'm just trying to figure out why Disney is trying to soak Americans. I hear all the banter about it costs us (Brits) more but in reality it doesn't cost you any more than a lot of Americans to get there, sure people that live on the east side of the US can get there cheaper but people out west aren't as lucky, not to mention they already give UK folks the free dining which more than makes up for any difference in airfare they are trying to adjust for...

I'm just trying to figure out if this is a trend, and if it is I'll gladly start booking my trips through Canada.

Point taken. I understand your comment about defensiveness, and I agree that some posts seem that way. I'm not quite sure why this should be, and even looking back at my own posts I can identify this is the way some of my comments could be viewed. I suppose it's because when any of us book a trip, we are looking at the high costs and wishing it was less. I guess that if you then get the impression that others may be getting it cheaper, a bit of tension or feeling of getting a bad deal can arise. I think in the end, we all wish a trip could be cheaper.

I would also just like to respond to the comment made by somebody else a few posts ago criticising my comments about $200 not being a lot of money. I apologise for any offence, and admit by post may have been insensitive, and I admit that $200 can be a lot to some people, myself included; I certainly do not pay for a WDW in 2 days as you suggested. And also, I was not the one raising the query about the pricing, I was responding to, and having a conversation about it.

To summarise all my comments on the issue so far - I agree with the principle of, and cannot criticise anybody for looking around at their options and trying to save a bit where possible. I simply think that at times this can be taken a little too far and people become so obsessed with every cent, that you run the risk of losing the relaxation and fun that is supposed to be the whole point of booking a trip.

 

[csm7030]

I would have never imagined that they offer different prices depending on where you reside. I would have figured that all prices would be the same in US dollars and they required payment in that form. For example when we travel overseas, we use a credit or debit card and the rates are never in US dollars, but the bank applies the most current exchange rate of the day.

 

[Lucky]

The argument seems to be that if it doesn't cost Disney any more to entertain a Brit than a Yank that we should pay the same. But prices, in any industry, are almost never dependent only on cost (supply). Prices reflect both supply and demand. Airlines, restaurants and other industries charge different prices to different customers, when they legally can, based on differences in their willingness and ability to pay (demand). Other things equal, the extra expense of getting to Orlando for most Brits will reduce their demand, relative to ours, for Disney tickets and resort rooms. So it makes perfect business sense that Disney might want to charge them a somewhat lower price.

Producers of manufactured goods in other countries often export them to the US at lower prices than they sell them for at home, despite costs being the same regardless of who is buying the radio. The American market is highly competitive, so they can't get away with the markups they may be able to get away with at home. Pricing purely based on cost may seem fair, but it's just not the way market economies work.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Couple of points, according to some in the travel industry Florida is a mature destination and visitors from the UK are in decline ( I'm not so sure about that). British holidays are slightly out of sink with the US at certain times so an enticement to keep them visiting and taking up the slack doesn't seem that unreal.

As for the comments on costs, I can assure you that from every year since 2001 it has been cheaper for me to buy my holiday via a US source than from the UK, and that includes non Disney resorts. Though as I posted the other day I did get a rather good deal for a few nights at the polly, around a 40% discount it looks like, but it was a rate quoted on line. I suspect that as in 2000 when Disney Travel had a relaunch (I think) in the UK they didsome aggresive marketining and pricing.

The biggest cost is the flight, an area that despite Tricky Dicky Pickles comments, continues to penalise parents who comply with Phony Blair's directives about term time holidays, unless of course Florida moves further away when the kids are off.

As for being able to book why not? If Ican book direct in the US and in mainland Europe why couldn't you, as long as your paying the local taxes I cant see it being a problem.

14 day Tickest are still cheaper from agents than the official site buy around £10 a skull

 

[Deadmanwalking]

The argument seems to be that if it doesn't cost Disney any more to entertain a Brit than a Yank that we should pay the same. But prices, in any industry, are almost never dependent only on cost (supply). Prices reflect both supply and demand. Airlines, restaurants and other industries charge different prices to different customers, when they legally can, based on differences in their willingness and ability to pay (demand). Other things equal, the extra expense of getting to Orlando for most Brits will reduce their demand, relative to ours, for Disney tickets and resort rooms. So it makes perfect business sense that Disney might want to charge them a somewhat lower price.

Producers of manufactured goods in other countries often export them to the US at lower prices than they sell them for at home, despite costs being the same regardless of who is buying the radio. The American market is highly competitive, so they can't get away with the markups they may be able to get away with at home. Pricing purely based on cost may seem fair, but it's just not the way market economies work.

What you are saying would make sense if we were talking about Mickey Mouse dolls as numerous variable come into play when items are sold in various geographic regions. But in this case the item being sold is a vacation in Orlando, it doesn't matter if your from the UK, the US, Canada or Japan. The visitor gets the same product and has to come to Orlando to get it. Now unless Disney has some strange goal of promoting diversity among the visitors there is no logical reason to offer cheaper prices to some visitors simply because they reside in an other country. Any visitor will take the same space and considering the UK visitors appear to get free dining the American and Canadian visitor is probably going to spend more money inside the park as they have to buy the food and drink themselves.

 

[isitingood]

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?

Yeah it's common,ticket sellers in the UK get more of a discount on tickets then the travel agents here in the U.S

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

What you are saying would make sense if we were talking about Mickey Mouse dolls as numerous variable come into play when items are sold in various geographic regions. But in this case the item being sold is a vacation in Orlando, it doesn't matter if your from the UK, the US, Canada or Japan. The visitor gets the same product and has to come to Orlando to get it. Now unless Disney has some strange goal of promoting diversity among the visitors there is no logical reason to offer cheaper prices to some visitors simply because they reside in an other country. Any visitor will take the same space and considering the UK visitors appear to get free dining the American and Canadian visitor is probably going to spend more money inside the park as they have to buy the food and drink themselves.

Perhaps the strange goal is that Disney is trying to maintain the custom of its highest overseas group, and using a discount on the food as an incentive, given that room rates that were agreed with UK companies would have been done at a time when there were fewer dollars to the pound.
But lets just ignore it if it dosent fit the agenda.

 

[Deadmanwalking]

Perhaps the strange goal is that Disney is trying to maintain the custom of its highest overseas group, and using a discount on the food as an incentive, given that room rates that were agreed with UK companies would have been done at a time when there were fewer dollars to the pound.
But lets just ignore it if it dosent fit the agenda.

It might be a valid reason, except I didn't compare tickets through an independent travel agent. I compared prices through Disneys' sites, the one they have for the US and the one for the UK.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

It might be a valid reason, except I didn't compare tickets through an independent travel agent. I compared prices through Disneys' sites, the one they have for the US and the one for the UK.

Surely if the Disney Co was trying to target certain sections of its patrons the best place to control things would be through its own websites. Additionally if non-Disney companies had to offload block booking the dinning plan is a fixed cost, and is a good way to entice people to look at more expensive accommodation rather than I drive or villas