Disneyland raises prices on most tickets and all annual passes - 2/11/2018

[Darkbeer1]

https://www.ocregister.com/2018/02/...prices-on-most-tickets-and-all-annual-passes/

>>
Starting today, all tickets and annual passes are now pricier, except for the cheapest “value” single-day off-season ticket, which will remain the same at $97, and the “value” one-day park hopper, which will actually decrease in price, from $157 to $147.

In 2016, Disneyland changed the way it sells tickets from a single standard ticket price. This system of surge pricing has become standard across entertainment and travel industries. In Disneyland’s case, ticket prices are divided among “value,” “regular” and “peak” days. On days projected to be the most crowded, a one-day, one-park ticket will now cost $135, up from $124.

Annual passholders will now pay at least $100 more per year, except for the Southern California Select pass, which is blocked out on weekends and will go up only $30 per year.

“Wow, that’s a big increase from what I’m paying now,” said Michael Marquez of Moreno Valley, who plans to upgrade his current Southern California Passport to the pricier Signature Plus pass, which has fewer blackout dates. His new pass will cost $999, up $150 from the price for the same pass before today. “But this is our escape from politics and the drama of life. No matter how much it costs, people are going to pay it because it’s their escape from the world."

Ticket type 2017 price 2018 price
Value: 1-day, 1-park $97 $97
Value: 1-day parkhopper $157 $147
Regular: 1-day, 1-park $110 $117
Regular: 1-day parkhopper $165 $167
Peak: 1-day, 1 park $124 $135
Peak 1-day parkhopper $174 $185
Premiere Annual Passport $1,439 $1,539
Signature Plus Annual Passport $1049 $1149
Signature Annual Passport $849 $999
Deluxe Annual Passport $619 $729
So Cal Annual Passport (on hiatus – only renewals) $469 $549
Select Annual Passport $339 $369

A lot more at the link

 

[Darkbeer1]

So the Signature AP gets the highest increase at $150, a 17% increase.

Makes the other regional parks AP/SP programs looking better every day, especially that most of them offer parking, and you can add on AYCE Food and Drink options.

 

[Curious Constance]

WDW said they will be announcing plans to sell date specific tickets later this year. Any word on if this applies to Disneyland too?

 

[Curious Constance]

So the Signature AP gets the highest increase at $150, a 17% increase.

Makes the other regional parks AP/SP programs looking better every day, especially that most of them offer parking, and you can add on AYCE Food and Drink options.

I know you're a big supporter of other So Cal parks and enjoy them which is great. But the reality is the demand and desire just isn't there for these other parks in even the same league as Disneyland. If it was their prices would reflect that. I know you're aware of this, but I'm not sure if you're aware of just how undesirable these other parks are to a lot of people. I would try anything once, but after visiting Universal twice, I have no desire to do it again. To me it's like saying stop paying more for clothes when you can get cheaper ones at Walmart. Sure there are always going to be cheaper options, but there will always be a reason for it, and it's not because the businesses offering lower prices have better hearts.

If you get as much enjoyment out of Knotts as Disneyland, that's great. On average that's just not going to be the case.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Let's look at what I can do with $1,539 (Disney Parks USA Premiere AP)... Only looking at passes that are not blocked out.

Cedar Fair Platinum Pass, including water parks, parking, food and drink at all their parks in the US and Canada - $386 (payment Plan available)

Six Flags Gold Plus Pass, including water parks, parking, food and drink at all their parks in North America (US, Canada, and Mexico) - $269 (payment plan)

SeaWorld (Busch Gardens/Sesame Street) Platinum Pass including water parks, and parking - $200 a year

LEGOLAND (Merlin 30+ parks) Premium Pass including water parks and parking - $279

So that is $1,133,and still have $400, which would get me an Universal Hollywood Deluxe Pass thru COSTCO, includes parking, but has some blockout dates. (Universal doesn't have a chain wide pass), and $200 to spend for other parks like Palace Entertainment.

 

[kap91]

Eek I was already thinking about not renewing my pass and this just adds fuel to that fire. As much as I love Disneyland the cost to things to do ratio just isn’t anywhere near the same as it was in Florida. I get bored going once a month. Like I get it from the business angle but jeeze. My only worry about not renewing is they might eliminate the ability to get new passes altogether. But like I could still visit 4-5 times in a year for less than what I’ll be paying. Hard (extremely privileged) decisions to make.

 

[FerretAfros]

“We will be reshaping our Annual Pass program to better manage the guest experience throughout the year, which will help all Disneyland Resort guests have a great visit, particularly as we look forward to the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in 2019,” Brown said Friday in a prepared statement.

I find it interesting that they specifically singled-out the AP program. I don't recall this being the case in previous price increases, and it would seem to indicate that further changes are coming. It's also interesting that they specifically mentioned the Star Wars project; as much as I doubt rumors that the land will be an upcharge to enter, it does sound like something unusual is in the works. At the very least, APs are good for a full year, and with an expected early 2019 opening, I suspect the AP changes will come sooner rather than later in order to phase out the 'old' ones before SW opens

I know you're a big supporter of other So Cal parks and enjoy them which is great. But the reality is the demand and desire just isn't there for these other parks in even the same league as Disneyland. If it was their prices would reflect that. I know you're aware of this, but I'm not sure if you're aware of just how undesirable these other parks are to a lot of people. I would try anything once, but after visiting Universal twice, I have no desire to do it again. To me it's like saying stop paying more for clothes when you can get cheaper ones at Walmart. Sure there are always going to be cheaper options, but there will always be a reason for it, and it's not because the businesses offering lower prices have better hearts.

If you get as much enjoyment out of Knotts as Disneyland, that's great. On average that's just not going to be the case.

Another element to consider is that for non-locals, the ticket price is a relatively small component of the overall trip price. Between travel, lodging, food, and other expenses, the cost of park tickets is rarely more than 1/4 of the total cost. Sure, Disney may raise their prices by 10%, but the price of "a trip to Disneyland" has a lot of other factors in it

And for nearly all of the people who are travelling, they're going specifically for Disneyland. If people want tp visit a Knott's or Six Flags-caliber park, they probably have something that's much closer to home. As enjoyable as they are in their own right, they're hardly worth getting on an airplane to visit. They may be good alternatives for bored locals looking for something to do every weekend, but they're not an adequate substitute for the family visiting from Kansas.

I can only hope that after all these years, DLR is finally starting to realize that out-of-town visitors are far more lucrative to the resort, and the overabundance of APs is having a negative impact on their experience. There are some great things that come from having a strong AP base (like seasonal entertainment), but in recent years the negatives have far outweighed the benefits IMO

 

[Darkbeer1]

“We will be reshaping our Annual Pass program to better manage the guest experience throughout the year, which will help all Disneyland Resort guests have a great visit, particularly as we look forward to the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in 2019,” Brown said Friday in a prepared statement.

I find it interesting that they specifically singled-out the AP program. I don't recall this being the case in previous price increases, and it would seem to indicate that further changes are coming. It's also interesting that they specifically mentioned the Star Wars project; as much as I doubt rumors that the land will be an upcharge to enter, it does sound like something unusual is in the works. At the very least, APs are good for a full year, and with an expected early 2019 opening, I suspect the AP changes will come sooner rather than later in order to phase out the 'old' ones before SW opens

Another element to consider is that for non-locals, the ticket price is a relatively small component of the overall trip price. Between travel, lodging, food, and other expenses, the cost of park tickets is rarely more than 1/4 of the total cost. Sure, Disney may raise their prices by 10%, but the price of "a trip to Disneyland" has a lot of other factors in it

And for nearly all of the people who are travelling, they're going specifically for Disneyland. If people want tp visit a Knott's or Six Flags-caliber park, they probably have something that's much closer to home. As enjoyable as they are in their own right, they're hardly worth getting on an airplane to visit. They may be good alternatives for bored locals looking for something to do every weekend, but they're not an adequate substitute for the family visiting from Kansas.

I can only hope that after all these years, DLR is finally starting to realize that out-of-town visitors are far more lucrative to the resort, and the overabundance of APs is having a negative impact on their experience. There are some great things that come from having a strong AP base (like seasonal entertainment), but in recent years the negatives have far outweighed the benefits IMO

I started a separate Thread to discuss the "upcoming AP Changes", so this thread would discuss the current changes...

https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads...-to-the-annual-pass-program-2-11-2018.938038/

 

[Curious Constance]

“We will be reshaping our Annual Pass program to better manage the guest experience throughout the year, which will help all Disneyland Resort guests have a great visit, particularly as we look forward to the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in 2019,” Brown said Friday in a prepared statement.

I find it interesting that they specifically singled-out the AP program. I don't recall this being the case in previous price increases, and it would seem to indicate that further changes are coming. It's also interesting that they specifically mentioned the Star Wars project; as much as I doubt rumors that the land will be an upcharge to enter, it does sound like something unusual is in the works. At the very least, APs are good for a full year, and with an expected early 2019 opening, I suspect the AP changes will come sooner rather than later in order to phase out the 'old' ones before SW opens

Another element to consider is that for non-locals, the ticket price is a relatively small component of the overall trip price. Between travel, lodging, food, and other expenses, the cost of park tickets is rarely more than 1/4 of the total cost. Sure, Disney may raise their prices by 10%, but the price of "a trip to Disneyland" has a lot of other factors in it

And for nearly all of the people who are travelling, they're going specifically for Disneyland. If people want tp visit a Knott's or Six Flags-caliber park, they probably have something that's much closer to home. As enjoyable as they are in their own right, they're hardly worth getting on an airplane to visit. They may be good alternatives for bored locals looking for something to do every weekend, but they're not an adequate substitute for the family visiting from Kansas.

I can only hope that after all these years, DLR is finally starting to realize that out-of-town visitors are far more lucrative to the resort, and the overabundance of APs is having a negative impact on their experience. There are some great things that come from having a strong AP base (like seasonal entertainment), but in recent years the negatives have far outweighed the benefits IMO

Agreed x 1000%. It costs my family at least $3000-4000 to fly, stay, and get park tickets for Disneyland. That's not even including food or anything else we want to do or buy. Just to fly my troop of four, stay in a standard, non Disney hotel, and buy five day tickets for us, is $3000-$4000! $10 bucks a ticket increase is a drop in the bucket.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

God, not those vacations again. They certainly were a waste of money.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Ok, in regards to ticket buyers vs AP holders, aka non-locals. (Yes, I know some folks do a couple of trips a year and purchase AP's, but that is a minority for true airplane travelers.

But many non-Disney Parks have Hotel or Hotels on property. Cedar Point has a lot of choices, including campgrounds, for example.

Many folks do buy plane tickets, even internationally to visit places like SF Magic Mountain, Cedar Point and others.

Lisa and I are headed to the Washington, DC area this June for three weeks, we have 4 major parks on our list, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Six Flags America, Kings Dominion and Carowinds (both Cedar Fair properties). We have the AP/SP packages mentioned above for all three chains. (We don't have a LEGOLAND version). We also have minor parks, and Ocean City on our list. Now, since we are in the area, were are visiting our Niece stationed at Fort Bragg, and will check out Washington DC and some of the museums/sights. We have a rental car booked, and looking at over 2,000 miles in a circle trip.

So the main purpose of the trip is to visit Theme Parks and ride Roller Coasters. And it isn't our first, nor will be our last.

Today, we have a few errands to do, but also going to Knott's for a few hours, to check out some of the limited Peanuts Celebration events, plus enjoy a "free" meal from our AP package.

My favorite meals, the BBQ meal of a 1/4 chicken, 2 large pork ribs, and a baked potato or corn on the Cob. A Pulled Pork plate, including a 1/2 pound of meat, potato salad, corn on the cob and freshly baked cornbread. (Other sides are available). Also a Panda Express entrée and side, Mexican Plates, or a large Western Bacon BBQ Burger and Fries. Some Cedar Point Parks have Chick-fil-A on the meal plan.

And if we want to buy something different, we get 20% off food and merchandise. Early Entry is also a perk, along with Hotel Guests. Knott's also hosts multiple special AP nights at no extra charge.

Now, as a renewing SP holder, our cost was just under $300 for 2018.

 

[mickEblu]

Ok, in regards to ticket buyers vs AP holders, aka non-locals. (Yes, I know some folks do a couple of trips a year and purchase AP's, but that is a minority for true airplane travelers.

But many non-Disney Parks have Hotel or Hotels on property. Cedar Point has a lot of choices, including campgrounds, for example.

Many folks do buy plane tickets, even internationally to visit places like SF Magic Mountain, Cedar Point and others.

Lisa and I are headed to the Washington, DC area this June for three weeks, we have 4 major parks on our list, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Six Flags America, Kings Dominion and Carowinds (both Cedar Fair properties). We have the AP/SP packages mentioned above for all three chains. (We don't have a LEGOLAND version). We also have minor parks, and Ocean City on our list. Now, since we are in the area, were are visiting our Niece stationed at Fort Bragg, and will check out Washington DC and some of the museums/sights. We have a rental car booked, and looking at over 2,000 miles in a circle trip.

So the main purpose of the trip is to visit Theme Parks and ride Roller Coasters. And it isn't our first, nor will be our last.

Today, we have a few errands to do, but also going to Knott's for a few hours, to check out some of the limited Peanuts Celebration events, plus enjoy a "free" meal from our AP package.

My favorite meals, the BBQ meal of a 1/4 chicken, 2 large pork ribs, and a baked potato or corn on the Cob. A Pulled Pork plate, including a 1/2 pound of meat, potato salad, corn on the cob and freshly baked cornbread. (Other sides are available). Also a Panda Express entrée and side, Mexican Plates, or a large Western Bacon BBQ Burger and Fries. Some Cedar Point Parks have Chick-fil-A on the meal plan.

And if we want to buy something different, we get 20% off food and merchandise. Early Entry is also a perk, along with Hotel Guests. Knott's also hosts multiple special AP nights at no extra charge.

Now, as a renewing SP holder, our cost was just under $300 for 2018.

That BBQ Is sounding real good right about now!

 

[ght]

Wow, the people who want 1 day park hopper tickets on value days are making out like bandits!

 

[Curious Constance]

Does anyone know if the multi-day tickets increased at all?

 

[TP2000]

If you get as much enjoyment out of Knotts as Disneyland, that's great. On average that's just not going to be the case.

Agreed. I'm not surprised at the AP/ticket price increases for Disneyland. They do them every February and this is just a price hike on the existing structure. Expected.

But at this point the price spread between Disneyland and all other local parks is so wide and so disparate that Disneyland is now in its own separate industry and universe. It's now like comparing tickets to a Los Angeles Rams football game in the LA Coliseum to a ticket to the local junior college football game and freshman mixer. Disneyland has pulled into its own orbit around the sun here, while Knott's remains back down on earth.

The simple facts on attendance and consumer demand in the great American free market show why.

Knott's Berry Farm One-Day Online Ticket for Monday 2/12 = $43.00
Knott's Berry Farm 2018 Annual Pass, No Blockout Dates = $96.00
Knott's Berry Farm Annual Theme Park Attendance in 2016 per T.E.A. report = 4,014,000

Disneyland Resort One-Day Park Hopper Online Ticket for Monday 2/12 = $147.00
Disneyland Resort 2018 Annual Pass, No Blockout Dates = $1,149.00
Disneyland Resort Annual Theme Park Attendance in 2016 per T.E.A. report = 27,200,000

4 Million annual visitors for Knott's Berry Farm compared to over 27 Million annual visitors for Disneyland Resort. While Disneyland charges over triple the price for day tickets and up to ten times the price for annual passes.

Knott's Berry Farm is a fun day out, but it's no Disneyland. And the American free market agrees.

 

[ght]

Does anyone know if the multi-day tickets increased at all?

They did. For example a 5 day hopper went up from 350 to 370.

 

[Curious Constance]

They did. For example a 5 day hopper went up from 350 to 370.

Thanks. That's the specific ticket I was curious about.

 

[ght]

Thanks. That's the specific ticket I was curious about.

If you are buying now lmtclub is still showing the old ticket prices ($300 for 5 day hoppers).

 

[Stevek]

Knott's Berry Farm is a fun day out, but it's no Disneyland. And the American free market agrees.

And they will whine and scream how Disney is ripping them off even as they walk through the turnstiles at Disneyland.

 

[SuddenStorm]

1 day, 1 park is $135. On most (if not all) peak days, Disneyland park is open from 8 am to 12 am. 16 hours (not counting the extra hour of Main Street shopping available)

That's less than $10 an hour for access to some of the greatest shows, ambiance, and attractions around.

When I go, I'm at the gate before they let people in- at the front for the rope drop, and don't leave until after I finish my Main Street shopping at about 12:30 am.

If Disneyland isn't worth the $8/hr or so it costs to be in there, than I encourage people to find an alternative form of entertainment, or to go far less frequently.

But, I think it's still a great deal and a great time, and will gladly pay the ticket price.