Disney has raised it's prices...

[disneyWX]

Okay...question. The price updates say "effective 8/3/08" which obviously means if I buy tickets beginning tomorrow for a trip in October I'll be held to the increased prices, correct?? I asked this question last week in a different post about price increase speculation and was led to believe that unless I was purchasing tickets for the 2009 calendar year, the scheduled increase would not effect my plans!!! Sounds like several people gave me some inaccurate assurance :veryconfu

I didn't even realize Disney did this EVERY YEAR. Great. Soon it'll take a wish upon a star to afford a disney vacation.

 

[firemandisney]

LOL thanks for the laugh. So at what price and at what reduction of quality does Disney stop becoming an "affordable great value" ?

Get out and travel some. For the money and time spent there..Disney is VERY VERY affordable compared to almost any other vacation destination.
As for the "reduction of quality? Have no idea what you mean, Disney is better than ever.
For less than 2000.00 you can have a full plate of fun at Disney for 1 week or so including hotel cost.
2000 in Vegas for example will get you 5 days tops. NOT including hotel cost.
Try New York or L.A. for a vacation..You'll need alot mor ethan 2k my friend.
If you dont think Disney is affordable then dont go. Someone will replace you.
I went to Disney for the first time in 73 as a 3 y.o. old. Went back about 100 times since.
Disney is a good as ever. Like i said before, If you dont like it...dont go. Attendence is up up up and is going to continue to be. Alot of other vacation spots attendence is up and up...I.E. Vegas.

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

It's still cheaper for us to go to WDW than many other vacation destinations.

 

[Daddymouse]

Took my family to a local fair recently. Listed is a fairly accurate of our day for 4 people. Take note we did not spend the night nor did stay the whole day. We were back home within 6 hours of when we left.

Entrance $24
Parking Free
Ride tickets $60 (4 passes to ride anything)
Food $45
Concert tickets $40

Total = $167 Without the Disney service, ambiance, magic, rides etc... Plus I put my family's life in the hands of Carnival workers on the rides.
Below is our next trip to WDW for two people. (11 days)

Entrance: AP & 10 day PH Pass Avg. $70
Parking: Free (AP holder)
Ride Tickets: Free (Included with entry)
Food: $100 Budgeted
Concert: Free

Total = $170 We will utilize EMH and spend at least 12 hours at the parks.

I haven't added in room or flight which increases the cost a great deal. The comparison being what it is a fair vs. Disney. It is a no brainer and worth the expense of a flight and hotel for us. There are too many intangibles to talk about in this space.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

Yeah, lots of stuff goes up by "not a huge increase, approx 5.3%" but you know what never gets close to increasing by 5%? My income.

We all feel it. But tell it to the Gas Stations, Supermarkets, Ratial Stores and pretty much everyone else. Most businesses have experienced the increased cost of doing business over the past 5 or 6 years, and with the dropping of interest rates, inflation is a prime concern.

They need to cover their costs, and from a business perspective 5% isn't that much.

Compare it to gas, which has risen over 100% over the past few years, or even the cost of milk and flour, which is up close to 100% as well in many areas.

It doesn't make it easier, but understandable.

 

[nyfrenchy]

Take a look at Adventures by Disney pricing released yesterday

Well this is completely different story.

As of today, the dollar has lost 13.53% of its value to the Euro compared to a year ago. Therefore, it is normal that any Adventures by Disney in any European destination goes up by at least 14%.

 

[firemandisney]

It's still cheaper for us to go to WDW than many other vacation destinations.

Aint that the truth!
I just dont see the issues with Disney prices. They are incredibly inexpensive compared to most other major vacation destinations.

 

[disneyWX]

Aint that the truth!
I just dont see the issues with Disney prices. They are incredibly inexpensive compared to most other major vacation destinations.

For me, Disney raising its prices is more of a matter of principals. Today's corporate Disney has forgotten its founding traditions. With the economy being on a downward trend for most I don't believe that Walt would have raised prices for the majority of his already struggling guests in response. Based on the beliefs he created Disney on, I'd like to think he would have made as many concessions as he could for families once they got down to Disney realizing that they'd be expending more than need be on fuel/travel/food to even get there. And yes, the $5 increase in ticket prices adds up quick once you factor in the number of days AND number of members vacationing in your party. That could be the cost of food for one day--which I know I'd be happy to save on!

Besides, if you're making 50k I suppose these increases would seem infinitesimal. But those of us with salaries in the 20k's like vacations too. Guess we're just supposed to fall deeper into the abyss of working and not being able to afford a reprieve from our labor.

 

[STLDisneyFan]

I kind of agree... I think Walt would want to make his "World" in reach of everyone. WDW is my favorite vacation spot and I'd love to keep going, but with prices of everything on the rise it's iffy. Gas is so high,plus the cost of utilities is going up (my gas bill will be going up 50% next month - not due to usage but "rising costs".) I don't make much either (in the low $20,000 b4 taxes) and my raise will probably be 50-60 cents /hr for this coming school year ( I am a pre=school teaching assist with a teaching certificate!). That won't even help with the natural gas price much less the gas for my car. I work hard (and LOVE my job!) but things aren't getting any better, that's for sure.:dazzle:

 

[firemandisney]

For me, Disney raising its prices is more of a matter of principals. Today's corporate Disney has forgotten its founding traditions. With the economy being on a downward trend for most I don't believe that Walt would have raised prices for the majority of his already struggling guests in response. Based on the beliefs he created Disney on, I'd like to think he would have made as many concessions as he could for families once they got down to Disney realizing that they'd be expending more than need be on fuel/travel/food to even get there. And yes, the $5 increase in ticket prices adds up quick once you factor in the number of days AND number of members vacationing in your party. That could be the cost of food for one day--which I know I'd be happy to save on!

Besides, if you're making 50k I suppose these increases would seem infinitesimal. But those of us with salaries in the 20k's like vacations too. Guess we're just supposed to fall deeper into the abyss of working and not being able to afford a reprieve from our labor.

Supply and demand. Attendence is way up and prices WILL always go up when more folks are coming to Disney.
As for consessions? :ROFLOL:
Seriously though, If 20k per year or whatever you make isnt enough, Its NOT Disney's responsibility to ensure you can afford a vacation there..Its YOURS.
Thats just a factual statement. Maybe Disney shouldnt be your vacation of choice? There are places i cant afford but i dont whine about it.
I do apologise, Im not trying to be rude. I just get riled up when folks complain about prices to a vacation resort. Like i said, i cant afford europe for vacation but ..tough, life isnt fair for me.

 

[disneyWX]

Supply and demand. Attendence is way up and prices WILL always go up when more folks are coming to Disney.
As for consessions? :ROFLOL:
Seriously though, If 20k per year or whatever you make isnt enough, Its NOT Disney's responsibility to ensure you can afford a vacation there..Its YOURS.
Thats just a factual statement. Maybe Disney shouldnt be your vacation of choice? There are places i cant afford but i dont whine about it.
I do apologise, Im not trying to be rude. I just get riled up when folks complain about prices to a vacation resort. Like i said, i cant afford europe for vacation but ..tough, life isnt fair for me.

First of all I don't believe I accused Disney of being the source of my personal economic struggles not nor did I say that they were responsible for ensuring affordability for all (I'm planning a trip down within the next few months actually). I'm simply questioning whether or not corporate Disney has lost sight of the very concepts it's existence is based on. And wondering if constant price increases (especially in these harsh economic times) isn't an unfortunate part in this. I don't believe Walt (you know, Disney's co-founder) would have agreed with this. It doesn't groove with his original vision--which was to create an amusement park where his employees could spend time with their families. Somehow I think this applies less and less with increasing times. Simple as that. I think it's a shame.

...perhaps you should read more carefully. You obviously are not affected by what I'm speaking on...so congratulations to you.

 

[mraw]

Supply and demand. Attendence is way up and prices WILL always go up when more folks are coming to Disney.
As for consessions? :ROFLOL:
Seriously though, If 20k per year or whatever you make isnt enough, Its NOT Disney's responsibility to ensure you can afford a vacation there..Its YOURS.
Thats just a factual statement. Maybe Disney shouldnt be your vacation of choice? There are places i cant afford but i dont whine about it.
I do apologise, Im not trying to be rude. I just get riled up when folks complain about prices to a vacation resort. Like i said, i cant afford europe for vacation but ..tough, life isnt fair for me.

Well, you are coming off as such. I think that most of your comments in this thread are pretty callous and pompous. Sometimes people just need to vent without someone following up with "Its NOT Disney's responsibility to ensure you can afford a vacation there..Its YOURS". Most of your threads scream "I can afford to go to Disney so I am happy! That's all that matters. If you can't afford it, find another job!".

That is your opinion and I respect that, but you can put a little thought into what you say, say it once, and move on. Empathy is the magic word here.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

First of all I don't believe I accused Disney of being the source of my personal economic struggles not nor did I say that they were responsible for ensuring affordability for all (I'm planning a trip down within the next few months actually). I'm simply questioning whether or not corporate Disney has lost sight of the very concepts it's existence is based on. And wondering if constant price increases (especially in these harsh economic times) isn't an unfortunate part in this. I don't believe Walt (you know, Disney's co-founder) would have agreed with this. It doesn't groove with his original vision--which was to create an amusement park where his employees could spend time with their families. Somehow I think this applies less and less with increasing times. Simple as that. I think it's a shame.

...perhaps you should read more carefully. You obviously are not affected by what I'm speaking on...so congratulations to you.

I am in that boat, and still understand why Disney is affordable and needs to raise prices right now. I can only go once every 5 years or so, usually for short trips, and I still love it.

But that being said, Walt's parks were not affordable to all when he opened them. They still were a treat and people weren't flying in from all over due to their affordability when they opened in Calfiornia either. In his life, Walt was certainly not always a friend of the working man, although he has remained one of my idols.

Let's not try to guess at Walt's ideals, as we don't know what he would have had to do at this time in this economic climate.

Just a thought, as a young twenties hard working normal person.

 

[STLDisneyFan]

Again , I agree... the cost of everything goes up (when I was a teen in the 70's gas was .27/gal :ROFLOL: And you do need to plan for trips anywhere. It's just getting a bit harder with so many things increasing at what seems like the same time. I have to plan on how to get my youngest child home from college for the major holidays and maybe not as many breaks as she'd like. She's not going very far and we can usually get Megabus or the train but for the major holidays it's sometimes tough as EVERYONE seems to be going somewhere.

 

[firemandisney]

I am in that boat, and still understand why Disney is affordable and needs to raise prices right now. I can only go once every 5 years or so, usually for short trips, and I still love it.

But that being said, Walt's parks were not affordable to all when he opened them. They still were a treat and people weren't flying in from all over due to their affordability when they opened in Calfiornia either. In his life, Walt was certainly not always a friend of the working man, although he has remained one of my idols.

Let's not try to guess at Walt's ideals, as we don't know what he would have had to do at this time in this economic climate.

Just a thought, as a young twenties hard working normal person.

I wanted to add to the above quote....
If you research Disney as a cost for a family of 4 when it opened in Anaheim in the mid to late 50's and then look at how much it cost to get there compared to now...It IS much more affordable now.
Travel is easier and many more hotel choices.
Folks usually only have an historical perspective from only 20 years ago or so (thier youth) they dont go back far enough and compare cost vs. inflation vs. typical income to realize that NOW is the most affordable time to go. Even with high gas prices, you can fly to Orlando from Ohio 99% of the time for less than 200 round trip per person.

 

[firemandisney]

Well, you are coming off as such. I think that most of your comments in this thread are pretty callous and pompous. Sometimes people just need to vent without someone following up with "Its NOT Disney's responsibility to ensure you can afford a vacation there..Its YOURS". Most of your threads scream "I can afford to go to Disney so I am happy! That's all that matters. If you can't afford it, find another job!".

That is your opinion and I respect that, but you can put a little thought into what you say, say it once, and move on. Empathy is the magic word here.

I have had no bad intentions only perspective.
I also stated that there ARE places i cannot afford to go.
That DOESNT make them too expensive or any of the such.
If i cant afford to go "somewhere" on vacation that is 110% my resposibility to correct. I too need to find a better job if i want to travel to Europe every 3 years or so. However, i love being a Firefighter/Medic so im content. I just wont go to Europe right now.
If folks get priced out of Disney then so be it. Life aint fair. Thats just the way it is.
When folks complain about all the costs of life and they now cant afford Disney...well that aint Disney's fault. But some on here seem to think it is and WDW should somehow accommondate them. Thats absurd..And, completely not what is done in a Capitalistic society. Disney isnt for everyone and thats OK. Nothing is. Also, Make no mistake about it, I work appox. 250 hours of overtime each year for my family. Its not like im just cruising along with no financial responsibility. You just gotta do what you gotta do to have enough money to do what one want to.
Phew, Ok ....im done with this post. Thankfully i've received exactly 6 private messages from folks who "get it" Anyways, 2 more weeks until we are in the WORLD!!!!!
All star music, here we come!

 

[mraw]

I have had no bad intentions only perspective.
I also stated that there ARE places i cannot afford to go.
That DOESNT make them too expensive or any of the such.
If i cant afford to go "somewhere" on vacation that is 110% my resposibility to correct. I too need to find a better job if i want to travel to Europe every 3 years or so. However, i love being a Firefighter/Medic so im content. I just wont go to Europe right now.
If folks get priced out of Disney then so be it. Life aint fair. Thats just the way it is.
When folks complain about all the costs of life and they now cant afford Disney...well that aint Disney's fault. But some on here seem to think it is and WDW should somehow accommondate them. Thats absurd..And, completely not what is done in a Capitalistic society. Disney isnt for everyone and thats OK. Nothing is. Also, Make no mistake about it, I work appox. 250 hours of overtime each year for my family. Its not like im just cruising along with no financial responsibility. You just gotta do what you gotta do to have enough money to do what one want to.
Phew, Ok ....im done with this post. Thankfully i've received exactly 6 private messages from folks who "get it" Anyways, 2 more weeks until we are in the WORLD!!!!!
All star music, here we come!

That's not the point. Every post in this thread from you is about how you can afford to go. And?! We don't need to hear it every time you decide to make a post. I can afford to go to Disney (and/or Europe if I choose) whenever I feel like it. Nothing is stopping me from picking up and going tomorrow, however, people have a right to state their opinions without feeling belittled by one man's opinion that Disney's rates are affordable. Their perspective is valid and should be treated respectfully. There are two sides to every coin.

 

[firemandisney]

That's not the point. Every post in this thread from you is about how you can afford to go. And?! We don't need to hear it every time you decide to make a post. I can afford to go to Disney (and/or Europe if I choose) whenever I feel like it. Nothing is stopping me from picking up and going tomorrow, however, people have a right to state their opinions without feeling belittled by one man's opinion that Disney's rates are affordable. Their perspective is valid and should be treated respectfully. There are two sides to every coin.

Relativism, It gets old:snore: You missed my point 110% Sadly, you wont ever "get it"
Out of respect to the mods, One cant even post a repectable reply to this.
Time to move on...

 

[disneydiva72]

I paid $79.00 a person for both parks of Universal and IOA for an ENTIRE WEEK....I don't understand why Disney cant do the same sort of deal.....of course they have more parks but they need to come up with SOMETHING, this is getting crazy.

 

[unkadug]

I think some people are 110% elitist.