Has Disney gone to far?

[Grizzly Hall 71]

Ok, so it's only 3 dollars a ticket. Then add in the hotel rate increases. Overall, the price of a week at disney has gone up a couple of hundred dollars this year.

I don't think people will stop going in masses (I know I won't), but they are really testing the waters here. For example, we just made a decision after the rates came out to stay at BC instead of Poly in Feb. It just came to a point where we said it was too much. What happens when someone who isn't from FL just says, "It's too much" and doesn't come?

You add these increased rates with the fact that they are no longer building any E tickets and and you have a problem. My brother came in July for the first time in 4 years and said to me "Not a whole lot has changed". After thinking about it, I had to agree. There have been some additions, but it is basically the same thing for a lot more money. Then you have Universal building a whole new land, which is making WDW look kind of stale to you average vacationer.

Exactly. I think Universal had its right to raise theirs. I find better value in their attractions at the moment. Disney hasn't done anything in the past 4 years to create a huge hoopla like Potter has. Until they do I don't think raises in ticket prices are right.

 

[thelookingglass]

Quote:
After all, $82 is a whole lot to pay for a company that has been slow-footed in adding premium "E Ticket" attractions. Good luck justifying that kind of sticker price on a stormy day in Animal Kingdom.

I have a hard time justifying that price on a sunny day in Animal Kingdom. DHS too.

 

[wbc]

The author has no concept of business or concept of how disney works.

There's really no marginal cost for Disney to bring people into the parks. They make money by you buying food, merchandise, etc. The more you days you go into the parks, the more you will spend inside the parks

They high one day price is to entice you to stay longer in the parks for more days.

For example. I'm going in November. I have a season pass but my friends won't. We'll arrive on a Sunday and leave on a Friday.

At first I was worried that Sunday we'd have to sit around the hotel since I have a season pass and it wouldn't be worth my friends buying a five day pass compared to a four day pass. Then I looked at ticket prices....

A four day hopper pass is $5 cheaper than a five day pass. So, obviously we'll head to EPCOT for Sunday evening since it only costs $5. Of course we will be spending a good amount of money on food and drink.... which is where Disney will get the money.

So you see there. We will fall victim to Disney's "evil plot to make profits" but I don't really care cause we'll be having fun.

Outside of just that personal story..... Disney park tickets will increase until the public decides they no longer want to pay that amount. I don't see that happening any time soon....

 

[floridabill]

Really!!??!!

oK #1 The more you stay the less you pay, it's called length of stay pass..duh, who pays a one day.#2 universal is the same amount for a day because they matched disney, so why is disney the only one being attacked?? #3 comparing disney to six flags really!! RIDICULOUS!!!!!! It may be cheap to pay at the door but they make sure to nickel and dime you all day! I don't now ow other six flags are but the one in new England is terrible!! 1st of all you can't bring anything in, 2nd there are no cubbies at rides and you cannot bring anything on them, so you must be forced to pay for a locker for the day, or get one for a couple of hrs. When those hrs are up the locker just opens!! They don't have a meal pan, and the refillable mug has a $1 refill fee after I payed $12!!! Ill take disney thanks and all the people that think it's to much well thats one less person in the park!

 

[floridabill]

Exactly. I think Universal had its right to raise theirs. I find better value in their attractions at the moment. Disney hasn't done anything in the past 4 years to create a huge hoopla like Potter has. Until they do I don't think raises in ticket prices are right.

I think wizards has no repeat value, I thought it was cool and the theming great! But I don't think they have anything better to offer than potter.

 

[Dwarful]

Well, I think if Disney wants to keep raising their prices they better start focusing on the quality. We were at Yacht Club in July and while we loved the resort...the pool area was great, the lobby was very nice...fourth floor was in need of some work as were some things in our room. If I had been paying rack rates and not AP discount I'd have been really upset.

As for spending more money..we didn't spend near what we planned or used to spend...as most of the stuff in the shops was the same old same old. We also saw a lot of families hauling lunch/drinks/snacks into the park...I thought they banned rolling coolers but those things were everywhere..and more annoying than ECVs, wheelchairs and doublestrollers...at least you can see those things coming at you. Seems like there were a lot of people taking cost cutting measures on their vacations...reusing old mugs..we saw lots of the old resort specific YC mugs and YOAMD mugs at the Stormalong Bay area, bringing in food/drinks, asking for free ice water vs. buying a drink, or buying fewer gift items. Also we noticed almost every major store in each of the four main parks and or resort gift shop had a 50% off section..something we never really saw before.

We haven't been to WDW in at least 5 years w/o getting some type of discount. If we can't get a discount next year we won't mind skipping a year or two.

 

[JasonCajun]

Compare historical pricing for yourselves...Be aware that the ticket books were discontinued June of 1982...

http://allears.net/tix/tixincrease.htm

Very enlightening...

Wow. In five years time, ticket prices have been raised from approximately $60 for a one day to $82. That's a 33% jump.

 

[JasonCajun]

While I understand that Disney is a business, I also understand that we are in a recession. Many people have lost their jobs and those that have their jobs have had their salaries frozen, if not decreased. It's enlightening to see a 33% increase over 2005's one day ticket prices.

I would also be interested to see what the increases of the packages have been over that time. I know in 2004, I stayed at POR, renting two rooms with 4 of my friends for less than what it cost for my girlfriend and I to go to POR in 2008. The only difference was I stayed one extra night in 2008.

Now I looked at going this fall, because it's been a couple of years, but looked at prices and said it just wasn't worth it. I can be doing something else with my money. Nothing substantial has changed...in fact many things are in refurb when I was planning on going.

Those same friends I went with before, won't go because it costs too much. They aren't fanatics like most of us here, willing to give our last dime to Disney, but they are your average middle class consumers. They don't have the brand loyalty. If Universal is a better value, they'll go there. They can take their $2,000 or $3,000, whatever they were planning on spending, and go somewhere else.

Add to this, there's nothing really exciting that is in the works at Disney. A new Star Tours is on the horizon, but I suspect it's just going to be an updated movie. Why can Universal add on and Disney cannot? Is Disney too bloated at corporate and mismanaging their money?

And people do buy single day passes. I was on a business trip to Orlando last week, and it would have normally been unheard of for me to go to Orlando and not go to Disney world, but it just wasn't worth it to me.

 

[DisneyNut7578]

The author has no concept of business or concept of how disney works.

There's really no marginal cost for Disney to bring people into the parks. They make money by you buying food, merchandise, etc. The more you days you go into the parks, the more you will spend inside the parks

They high one day price is to entice you to stay longer in the parks for more days.

For example. I'm going in November. I have a season pass but my friends won't. We'll arrive on a Sunday and leave on a Friday.

At first I was worried that Sunday we'd have to sit around the hotel since I have a season pass and it wouldn't be worth my friends buying a five day pass compared to a four day pass. Then I looked at ticket prices....

A four day hopper pass is $5 cheaper than a five day pass. So, obviously we'll head to EPCOT for Sunday evening since it only costs $5. Of course we will be spending a good amount of money on food and drink.... which is where Disney will get the money.

So you see there. We will fall victim to Disney's "evil plot to make profits" but I don't really care cause we'll be having fun.

Outside of just that personal story..... Disney park tickets will increase until the public decides they no longer want to pay that amount. I don't see that happening any time soon....

I hear you. You are right about the pricing structure of the tickets. I'm more concerned about the trend of higher room rates combined with higher ticket prices year after year. You have to admit, room rates went up considerably this year. They are approaching a price point where it is getting very difficult (but not impossible) for a middle class family to do a vacation.

 

[twoweirdos]

I hear you. You are right about the pricing structure of the tickets. I'm more concerned about the trend of higher room rates combined with higher ticket prices year after year. You have to admit, room rates went up considerably this year. They are approaching a price point where it is getting very difficult (but not impossible) for a middle class family to do a vacation.

nods

 

[wizards8507]

Why can Universal add on and Disney cannot? Is Disney too bloated at corporate and mismanaging their money?

Harry Potter had a budget of $300 million. FLE has a budget (allegedly) of $300 million.

Research, friends.

 

[JasonCajun]

Harry Potter had a budget of $300 million. FLE has a budget (allegedly) of $300 million.

Research, friends.

So they cost the same? Universal is getting a headliner and what exactly is FLE going to give us?

 

[Jim L Clifton]

Rooms

Rooms at the WL went up to $275!
Jim

 

[wizards8507]

So they cost the same? Universal is getting a headliner and what exactly is FLE going to give us?

That wasn't your criticism. You said Disney wasn't spending on capital projects.

They are.

If you don't LIKE what they're spending the money on, that's another conversation, but it has absolutely nothing to do with this thread.

But to answer your question, I think that The Little Mermaid, with a budget equal to Expedition Everest at $100 million, will be a bit more than the "typical" dark ride that people are expecting.

 

[JasonCajun]

That wasn't your criticism. You said Disney wasn't spending on capital projects.

They are.

If you don't LIKE what they're spending the money on, that's another conversation, but it has absolutely nothing to do with this thread.

But to answer your question, I think that The Little Mermaid, with a budget equal to Expedition Everest at $100 million, will be a bit more than the "typical" dark ride that people are expecting.

My apologies for not knowing the budget of FLE. That will be the first major project since what, Expedition Everest? All the while ticket prices, room prices, etc. have went up at a far greater rate than inflation can account for.

And what they are spending their budgets on does have everything to do with what value customers are getting for these increases, and what Universal is doing has everything to do with Disney since they are direct competitors.

So, thank you for your arrogance and telling me what one can and cannot say in this thread. Please feel free to continue on with your dogged defense of Disney.

 

[wizards8507]

So, thank you for your arrogance and telling me what one can and cannot say in this thread. Please feel free to continue on with your dogged defense of Disney.

My dogged defense is of the free market. Just as Disney has a right to charge whatever they wish for their luxury service, you, sir or madam, have the right to take your vacation dollar elsewhere.

 

[Dwarful]

My dogged defense is of the free market. Just as Disney has a right to charge whatever they wish for their luxury service, you, sir or madam, have the right to take your vacation dollar elsewhere.

I think you highlighted the key word. "luxury" service. I'd have agreed with you 15 yrs ago when we honeymooned at WDW...I'd have agreed with you up until about 5 yrs ago....but we have been AP holders for several years making the 1,000 mile trek down to WDW from Illinois 2 or 3 times per year and we have seen a serious decline in the 'luxury' services..esp. in the food service area and upkeep of properties. If they want to charge $300 a night for a deluxe room that is fine..but it better be deluxe because in today's economy people will start to really take a look at where and how they are spending their 'extra' money. We haven't been to Universal in 8 yrs...but if WDW doesn't offer some good deals next year..we probably will go elsewhere for our vacation times.

 

[wizards8507]

I think you highlighted the key word. "luxury" service. I'd have agreed with you 15 yrs ago when we honeymooned at WDW...I'd have agreed with you up until about 5 yrs ago....but we have been AP holders for several years making the 1,000 mile trek down to WDW from Illinois 2 or 3 times per year and we have seen a serious decline in the 'luxury' services..esp. in the food service area and upkeep of properties. If they want to charge $300 a night for a deluxe room that is fine..but it better be deluxe because in today's economy people will start to really take a look at where and how they are spending their 'extra' money. We haven't been to Universal in 8 yrs...but if WDW doesn't offer some good deals next year..we probably will go elsewhere for our vacation times.

We're reaching the exact same conclusion but getting there two different ways. This decision is exactly the point I'm highlighting. If people didn't perceive value in an overpriced Coca-Cola, they wouldn't start complaining that the pricing was unjust. They'd just purchase a Pepsi. You're doing exactly what you should be doing. You don't find the same value in the Disney experience as you once did, so you're taking your money elsewhere rather than bemoaning the rates as "unfair."

 

[wbc]

I hear you. You are right about the pricing structure of the tickets. I'm more concerned about the trend of higher room rates combined with higher ticket prices year after year. You have to admit, room rates went up considerably this year. They are approaching a price point where it is getting very difficult (but not impossible) for a middle class family to do a vacation.

I don't follow room rates, but I do laugh when I see the going price on rooms I stay in. I'm a DVC Member. It pays for itself in under 10 years.

 

[Pete C]

Disney's prices are officially outrageous. Even multi-day are taking a huge hit. Look at the price changes from each 10-year period in that chart. If you look at 2000 - 2010, the price difference is $36 on a single-day ticket. That is FAR MORE than inflation! It's also far more than any previous 10 year period price hike. They've lost it...seriously, and are going to start really making people upset. I was just about to buy tickets to hang out at the parks with my family in a few weeks, but I can't justify it anymore. I don't want to buy multi-day passes...I live here! Adding no expiration jacks up the price significantly. Annual passes are far too expensive, and once you are in the park they charge retarded prices for food. It's not just gouging you in the parks..at least I could stomach that. It has moved to the front gate. I can't wait to see how much the tapas and wine cost at F&W fest this year. What a joke.

Universal is going to reap the rewards of this. Of course they will not surpass Disney, but they will take a bite now. At least Universal added new stuff, like a huge new E-ticket coaster, an E-ticket dark ride, and a new land. Tickets there are $10 cheaper, but you can also still get a single day park hopper there. They also take care of the locals too. I can get a season pass for $140 and see concerts included. Universal is where the value is in Orlando.