February 2016 Disney World ticket price increases and new tiered 1 day tickets

[beachlover4444]

I love the tought of off peak prices. They do it up in Ohio all the time. If you choose to go to Cedar Point or Kings Island in spring or fall when it's colder you can get a good break. And you dont wait in the hot summer heat and long lines.

 

[note2001]

Write a letter to WDW management explaining WHY you cancelled your reservations, I've written a letter explaining why I will not be visiting yes I have DVC points but those can be banked (and have been) what I am going to do about DVC ownership remains an open question.

I love my DVC - hard to call VWL and AKV 'hotels' in my book, and I'll continue to own and use them as long as the quality of the resort stays and I have the health to enjoy them properly. If the need to enter the parks is there, the best deal is still to focus on APs and overlap trips within the 12 month period.
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Just for laughs I compared the current pricing at UT (w discount) for a 5 day Disney trip to another trip:

$367 - 5 day Disney park hopper (includes 'free' 5th day)
--> x2 = $734 for 2 adults

$225 - 4 day Park to Park pass to universal
$103 - Kennedy Space Center & Airboat Safari
--> $328 x 2 = $656 for 2 adults
add $150 - average 1 week car rental, gas additional
--> $806 for 2 adults.

Unless I'm adding wrong in my head - the prices are pretty comparable. Even when adjusted for the new prices, I'm willing to bet they won't be too far off from each other.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Which one in Bora Bora has Magic Kingdom views?

I know, how unmagical.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

I love my DVC - hard to call VWL and AKV 'hotels' in my book, and I'll continue to own and use them as long as the quality of the resort stays and I have the health to enjoy them properly. If the need to enter the parks is there, the best deal is still to focus on APs and overlap trips within the 12 month period.
-----------------------------------------
Just for laughs I compared the current pricing at UT (w discount) for a 5 day Disney trip to another trip:

$367 - 5 day Disney park hopper (includes 'free' 5th day)
--> x2 = $734 for 2 adults

$225 - 4 day Park to Park pass to universal
$103 - Kennedy Space Center & Airboat Safari
--> $328 x 2 = $656 for 2 adults
add $150 - average 1 week car rental, gas additional
--> $806 for 2 adults.

Unless I'm adding wrong in my head - the prices are pretty comparable. Even when adjusted for the new prices, I'm willing to bet they won't be too far off from each other.

You missed adding the pedicure and Blue Man Group and The cost of a wand to the universal price. That proves Disney is well cheap.

 

[hopemax]

I'm stealing this layout for a similar graph in the book. And I'm posting notice of it here so that when y'all see it, you'll know it as homage, not plagiarism.

ETA: Here's the chart I'm working on. The trip cost is 4 nights at CBR, 2 adults, 2 kids, 4-day PHs, 1 simple breakfast and snack per day, 1 CS lunch, 1 TS meal at Le Cellier. No souvenirs, upgrades, parking, etc.

View attachment 132760

This chart needs to be posted everywhere, and often. That is not normal "everything is more expensive." And more importantly, that is not sustainable.

 

[Spoxy]

It's not Bora Bora, but we recently canceled our upcoming trip to WDW in April and decided to spend the time in Japan instead.

We were going to spend around $4800 for ten days in Orlando (value resort and tickets, airfare, rental car, Universal tickets and food).

For Japan, we're spending the same amount for ten days as we would have spent at WDW, including airfare, rail passes and transportation, accommodations, food and two days at Tokyo Disney. We missed out on the airfare deals to Tokyo last week, which would have made it even more cost effective.

We're extremely happy with our decision to go see another country and still spend a few days at Disney while getting more bang for the buck in the midst of all of the cuts.

 

[BrianV]

I love my DVC - hard to call VWL and AKV 'hotels' in my book, and I'll continue to own and use them as long as the quality of the resort stays and I have the health to enjoy them properly. If the need to enter the parks is there, the best deal is still to focus on APs and overlap trips within the 12 month period.
-----------------------------------------
Just for laughs I compared the current pricing at UT (w discount) for a 5 day Disney trip to another trip:

$367 - 5 day Disney park hopper (includes 'free' 5th day)
--> x2 = $734 for 2 adults

$225 - 4 day Park to Park pass to universal
$103 - Kennedy Space Center & Airboat Safari
--> $328 x 2 = $656 for 2 adults
add $150 - average 1 week car rental, gas additional
--> $806 for 2 adults.

Unless I'm adding wrong in my head - the prices are pretty comparable. Even when adjusted for the new prices, I'm willing to bet they won't be too far off from each other.

What you write is true if you've already bought a time share at wdw. They know that and can push the prices. You are almost the definition of a captive audience. For me, the choice which includes hotel and doesn't necessarily include a rental car heavily leans toward uso.

 

[BrianV]

It's not Bora Bora, but we recently canceled our upcoming trip to WDW in April and decided to spend the time in Japan instead.

We were going to spend around $4800 for ten days in Orlando (value resort and tickets, airfare, rental car, Universal tickets and food).

For Japan, we're spending the same amount for ten days as we would have spent at WDW, including airfare, rail passes and transportation, accommodations, food and two days at Tokyo Disney. We missed out on the airfare deals to Tokyo last week, which would have made it even more cost effective.

We're extremely happy with our decision to go see another country and still spend a few days at Disney while getting more bang for the buck in the midst of all of the cuts.

For how many people? We are going to Italy in April instead of Florida. But airline tix to Italy run us 900 pp. Sticker shock compared to the usual 300 to Florida, though it is more over April vacation.

 

[DVCOwner]

Write a letter to WDW management explaining WHY you cancelled your reservations, I've written a letter explaining why I will not be visiting yes I have DVC points but those can be banked (and have been) what I am going to do about DVC ownership remains an open question.

If you are planning on selling now is the time. Just looked on line and I can sell my Boardwalk Villas points for 30% more then I paid for them years ago. Do not plan on selling, but found it interesting that even with 13 years on the contract gone, I could sell them for so high. Must still be some demand to go to Walt Disney World.

 

[asianway]

If you are planning on selling now is the time. Just looked on line and I can sell my Boardwalk Villas points for 30% more then I paid for them years ago. Do not plan on selling, but found it interesting that even with 13 years on the contract gone, I could sell them for so high. Must still be some demand to go to Walt Disney World.

It's because Disney has raised developer pricing on points faster than yours can amortize

 

[Brian Noble]

Here's what I don't understand: live entertainment prices generally seem to increase faster than inflation: live theater, downhill skiing, sporting events, Disney, etc. And, it has for about as long as I've paid attention, which is about since I started doing these things with my kids, the oldest of which is about to go to college. Yet, for the most part, the demand for these things has also held steady or, in most cases, gone up.

So, while it seems like it can't be sustainable, somehow it has been. I don't know enough about economics to know how this is possible, but keep meaning to ask some of the economists I know here in the People's Republic.

 

[Mike S]

It's not Bora Bora, but we recently canceled our upcoming trip to WDW in April and decided to spend the time in Japan instead.

We were going to spend around $4800 for ten days in Orlando (value resort and tickets, airfare, rental car, Universal tickets and food).

For Japan, we're spending the same amount for ten days as we would have spent at WDW, including airfare, rail passes and transportation, accommodations, food and two days at Tokyo Disney. We missed out on the airfare deals to Tokyo last week, which would have made it even more cost effective.

We're extremely happy with our decision to go see another country and still spend a few days at Disney while getting more bang for the buck in the midst of all of the cuts.

Lucky.......

 

[Spoxy]

For how many people? We are going to Italy in April instead of Florida. But airline tix to Italy run us 900 pp. Sticker shock compared to the usual 300 to Florida, though it is more over April vacation.

Two people. Airfare from Texas would've been $600, and we're spending $1800 total to go to Tokyo. The airfare is more, but we will spend less in the long run.

We missed the deal a few weeks ago that would have been $1300 RT to Tokyo for two people.

 

[JohnD]

It's not Bora Bora, but we recently canceled our upcoming trip to WDW in April and decided to spend the time in Japan instead.

We were going to spend around $4800 for ten days in Orlando (value resort and tickets, airfare, rental car, Universal tickets and food).

For Japan, we're spending the same amount for ten days as we would have spent at WDW, including airfare, rail passes and transportation, accommodations, food and two days at Tokyo Disney. We missed out on the airfare deals to Tokyo last week, which would have made it even more cost effective.

We're extremely happy with our decision to go see another country and still spend a few days at Disney while getting more bang for the buck in the midst of all of the cuts.

I love WDW but you all have inspired me to reevaluate my budget to see how I could better spend the same amount elsewhere. I was thinking about a WDW trip in late May. Perhaps I should examine the opportunity cost of what else I could do with that budget. I could plan a trip elsewhere and go some place I haven't been. Or, since I'm currently taking Financial Peace University right now, if I were to really listen to Dave Ramsey I should just put that money into a mutual fund and let it grow.

 

[note2001]

I love WDW but you all have inspired me to reevaluate my budget to see how I could better spend the same amount elsewhere. I was thinking about a WDW trip in late May. Perhaps I should examine the opportunity cost of what else I could do with that budget. I could plan a trip elsewhere and go some place I haven't been. Or, since I'm currently taking Financial Peace University right now, if I were to really listen to Dave Ramsey I should just put that money into a mutual fund and let it grow.

Wise investing is always a better use of money than a vacation. That said, without a vacation, without time physically away from that computer and all that stresses us, how many of us would go insane? (I'll be the first to raise my hand)

 

[JohnD]

Wise investing is always a better use of money than a vacation. That said, without a vacation, how many of us would go insane?

Nothing wrong with a vacation. Just so long as you take care of the "Four Walls" first -- home/utilities, food, clothes, and transportation. Then pay for the vacation the old fashioned way -- save up for it.

However, the point has already been made multiple times that you could go on a wonderful vacation somewhere other than WDW and get a lot more for your money. In fact, my folks had been getting a little perturbed. "Why are you always going to Disney? Travel somewhere else!". It's true. I've done plenty of other vacations around the U.S. in the past (Pacific Northwest, San Francisco, Chicago, Hawaii, Charleston-Savannah, Asheville/NC mountains in October, etc.). So my time off in late May will likely be someplace else and I'll just do one trip in October for Disney this year.

 

[Spoxy]

I love WDW but you all have inspired me to reevaluate my budget to see how I could better spend the same amount elsewhere. I was thinking about a WDW trip in late May. Perhaps I should examine the opportunity cost of what else I could do with that budget. I could plan a trip elsewhere and go some place I haven't been. Or, since I'm currently taking Financial Peace University right now, if I were to really listen to Dave Ramsey I should just put that money into a mutual fund and let it grow.

I think you'll be surprised with what else you can do. We love WDW, but we also love seeing the real world. Sometimes, you can work some Disney into the real world, as we did with Disneyland Paris last year and will do with Tokyo Disney this year. Plus we get to see and do so much beyond that.

You could save the money, but there's something to be said for living your life and making great memories if you can afford it.

 

[BrianV]

Two people. Airfare from Texas would've been $600, and we're spending $1800 total to go to Tokyo. The airfare is more, but we will spend less in the long run.

We missed the deal a few weeks ago that would have been $1300 RT to Tokyo for two people.

Wow!!!

 

[prberk]

It's not Bora Bora, but we recently canceled our upcoming trip to WDW in April and decided to spend the time in Japan instead.

We were going to spend around $4800 for ten days in Orlando (value resort and tickets, airfare, rental car, Universal tickets and food).

For Japan, we're spending the same amount for ten days as we would have spent at WDW, including airfare, rail passes and transportation, accommodations, food and two days at Tokyo Disney. We missed out on the airfare deals to Tokyo last week, which would have made it even more cost effective.

We're extremely happy with our decision to go see another country and still spend a few days at Disney while getting more bang for the buck in the midst of all of the cuts.

You definitely need to visit DisneySea and let us know what you think. That park always gets rave reviews.

 

[prberk]

I wish someone at Disney's corporate office would really see the trajectory of this thread.

Here are real Disney enthusiasts (who have taken the time to register on a WDW fan site and do more than read -- we actually post) who normally look forward to returning to WDW, many of whom who are now seriously reconsidering Disney vacations (either canceling, cutting back, or going elsewhere) because the cost has gotten so out of whack with the rest of the world.

Their marketing folks need to see this.

Yes, their bottom line looks good right now... but this trajectory would change that story over time (or at least diminish it).