Has Disney Pricing Increases/Atmosphere Cuts Altered YOUR FAMILIES WDW Attendance?

[Bartledvd]

is that DVC?

Nope we dont want to be stuck with a time share incase we or Disney does something that makes us not want to return.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I fully agree! I thought the point of the bucket was they save packaging? Sea World has a popcorn bucket program and a drink cup too both do great for families! The most disturbing though was certainly the CM's attitude! Sadly I see it everywhere more and more! The Disney outstanding customer service use to literally be taught in business and hospitality schools around the world!

The old AB/sea world park drink and popcorn buckets were always such a nice “intangible” thing that went along way toward good will.

We used those at sesame place when the kids were little and it was just such a nice way of rewarding your customer. Apple juice and popcorn.

And costs nothing...of course.

As opposed to accountant maximizing the margins.

It’s really the details that matter when the offerings don’t really change.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Nope we dont want to be stuck with a time share incase we or Disney does something that makes us not want to return.

Are you from the UK?

 

[Bartledvd]

Are you from the UK?

Yes we have favorable pricing on tickets and accommodation but the flights are always a gamble.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yes we have favorable pricing on tickets and accommodation but the flights are always a gamble.

Lol...you gave it away with the “our 14 days”

Anyway...yes airline would be a big variable. The tickets are the thing. You guys have gotten WAY better deals on Disney tickets than We victims over the pond. But I imagine the decline in exchange rate has hit you hard.

On another note: what do you think of Thomas cook going down? That’s shocking if you think about it...

 

[Nunu]

That's a refrain I'm seeing more and more often here.

On this specific issue, I don't have proof of Disney instructing CM's to provide less popcorn for refillable buckets, so I chose to show restraint in my post.

I try not to post on impulse, specially on more serious matters, although it's very hard not to, sometimes.

 

[RandySavage]

We're in the "Used to go once a year (in the 80s & 90s)" to "every couple of years" (in the 2000s-2010s) to "do not plan to return". Probably one of the few in that demographic still on this site. The much higher pricing (more importantly: lower value for cost) and general/thorough operational downgrading keep us away, but the biggest deterrent is the type of general content provided.

We were weened on the long-form, recorded-spiel-driven, Edutainment slow rides (i.e., Future World, GMR, 20K) that provided actual enrichment as well as entertainment. That particular type of Sincerely Old Fashioned story-telling that defined the theme park attraction for me is mostly extinct now, and the saccharine, cartoony Disney-Pixar Studios content, which often serves as its replacement, has never held much appeal in my family - young or old. It's very hard to go from The Livings Seas-style presentation to the Seas with Nemo-style presentation if you don't have a 3- & 7-year old in tow.

It's like you had a favorite Steakhouse that occupied an old country farmhouse. You had all your special occasions there because the food was amazing and the atmosphere was magic. New owners bought it and over time, the thought they could get better returns on their popular desert menu, so they steadily made adjustments. The owners also sold the farmland for commercial development to bolster returns. Fast forward a couple decades and your country steakhouse had turned into a (very good, very popular) cupcake shop in a strip mall.

 

[ChipNDale79]

Nope we dont want to be stuck with a time share incase we or Disney does something that makes us not want to return.

Neither do we...we're a family of 4 that stays in a value. I"m getting our numbers, with spending money to down around $225 per person per day for a week, and i'm pretty good at finding deals for disney. If you're able to lower it, id love some pointers.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Neither do we...we're a family of 4 that stays in a value. I"m getting our numbers, with spending money to down around $225 per person per day for a week, and i'm pretty good at finding deals for disney. If you're able to lower it, id love some pointers.

Case in point...that $6,300 vacation was $2000 ish not including flights in 2010

 

[ChipNDale79]

Case in point...that $6,300 vacation was $2000 ish not including flights in 2010

Yeah i know, my wife an i went on our honeymoon in 2008, it cost us $2800 for a full week at POFQ with the dining plan. That's rack rate, it was our first trip together and the first one we had planned. We didnt know any better.

That same exact trip, same time next year, comes to $4500.

And to top it all off, we got to do way more with the old FP system.

It's absurd.

 

[Incomudro]

Yeah i know, my wife an i went on our honeymoon in 2008, it cost us $2800 for a full week at POFQ with the dining plan. That's rack rate, it was our first trip together and the first one we had planned. We didnt know any better.

That same exact trip, same time next year, comes to $4500.

And to top it all off, we got to do way more with the old FP system.

It's absurd.

So, I'm not crazy when I seem to remember things being considerably less expensive.
Add in what many of us feel is a relative drop in service, friendliness, cleanliness etc., and we can see how the value equation is out of whack.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

So, I'm not crazy when I seem to remember things being considerably less expensive.
Add in what many of us feel is a relative drop in service, friendliness, cleanliness etc., and we can see how the value equation is out of whack.

Of course not...but there are two counterarguments:

1. It’s normal inflation/ “price of everything has gone up”

2. You “underpaid” all those 40+ years...so really it’s only fair to pay it now.

The first is completely wrong...the second is laughably stupid.

 

[mdcpr]

In what world is 80K upper class? Heck I live in the poorest state in the country and wouldn't consider 80k upper class... even in the poorest county/city in the state.

$80K in NYC is definitely not upper class. Not even lower middle class.

 

[ChipNDale79]

So, I'm not crazy when I seem to remember things being considerably less expensive.
Add in what many of us feel is a relative drop in service, friendliness, cleanliness etc., and we can see how the value equation is out of whack.

No you're not crazy. I'll also point out that even with that increase in price, there are many more up charges, for example more after hours parties that cut into what used to be Magic Hours or normal park time.

We pay more and actually get less time in the parks. I believe people are starting to notice those things.

 

[OneofThree]

Of course not...but there are two counterarguments:

1. It’s normal inflation/ “price of everything has gone up”

2. You “underpaid” all those 40+ years...so really it’s only fair to pay it now.

The first is completely wrong...the second is laughably stupid.

Some numbers:

In 2016, the price of a 1-day ticket was $118. The price of a one day ticket in 1984 was the equivalent of ~$50 in 2016.

Average household income in 2016 was ~$83,000. The inflation-adjusted 1984 figure is ~$64,000.

As a practical matter for example, the cost of 5 tickets for 4 people in 2016 represents ~2.8% of average annual household income. That number in 1984 was ~1.3%. One issue with this comparison is that it is not at all easy to determine ticket cost as a percentage of average household discretionary income (not to be confused with disposable income), which I'm inclined to believe has increased significantly.

 

[xdan0920]

Take notice? Disney has taken notice and people have made WDW the most popular place in the world.........Attendance is up HUGE since 2002 and here are the stats that prove it

attendance from 2002
1.Magic Kingdom; 14 million
2. Disneyland; 12.7 million
3. Epcot; 8.3 million, down
4. MGM Studios, 8 million, down
5. Animal Kingdom, 7.3 million, down

attendance from 2017:
1. Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom, 20,859,000 up over 43% from 2002
2. Disneyland, 18,666,000, up over 47% from 2002
3. Disney's Animal Kingdom, 13,750,000, up over 88% since 2002
4. Epcot, 12,444,000 up over 49% since 2002
5. Disney's Hollywood Studios, 11,258,000, up 41% since 2002


As you can see, attendance is stronger than ever despite what you are referring to as ridiculous increases...............I'm not saying you have to pay it, but there are plenty of others will........

Sorry, those are the stats.......you dont have to like them, but they are what they are

Where’d you get your stats?

Also...

You realize with the proliferation of the park hopper and after hours parties you are getting the same guest multiple times? So that increase isn’t everything it’s chalked up to be.

 

[Nunu]

We all have our own thresholds regarding how much value we get from a Disney vacation these days.

One of mine, was when WDW started charging resort parking to guests. It still hurts, I really don't see any justification in that.

I'll admit that there have been other instances, when we have questioned ourselves about still choosing Disney. I guess that if things continue to decline in our eyes, we might decide to look elsewhere.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Some numbers:

In 2016, the price of a 1-day ticket was $118. The price of a one day ticket in 1984 was the equivalent of ~$50 in 2016.

Average household income in 2016 was ~$83,000. The inflation-adjusted 1984 figure is ~$64,000.

As a practical matter for example, the cost of 5 tickets for 4 people in 2016 represents ~2.8% of average annual household income. That number in 1984 was ~1.3%. One issue with this comparison is that it is not at all easy to determine ticket cost as a percentage of average household discretionary income (not to be confused with disposable income), which I'm inclined to believe has increased significantly.

I’m not saying I can give you a distinct breakdown of all the variables that go into this...as you point out, it’s very complicated.

I do know that the parks pricing structure prior to the Iger regime was never to significantly outrun inflation...and I’m no longer confident of that.

Grain of salt.

Take notice? Disney has taken notice and people have made WDW the most popular place in the world.........Attendance is up HUGE since 2002 and here are the stats that prove it

attendance from 2002
1.Magic Kingdom; 14 million
2. Disneyland; 12.7 million
3. Epcot; 8.3 million, down
4. MGM Studios, 8 million, down
5. Animal Kingdom, 7.3 million, down

attendance from 2017:
1. Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom, 20,859,000 up over 43% from 2002
2. Disneyland, 18,666,000, up over 47% from 2002
3. Disney's Animal Kingdom, 13,750,000, up over 88% since 2002
4. Epcot, 12,444,000 up over 49% since 2002
5. Disney's Hollywood Studios, 11,258,000, up 41% since 2002


As you can see, attendance is stronger than ever despite what you are referring to as ridiculous increases...............I'm not saying you have to pay it, but there are plenty of others will........

Sorry, those are the stats.......you dont have to like them, but they are what they are

So are we in a sustained, credit fueled “economic boom” for the last 10 years or so? What did those numbers look like in say 2008? That rate has slowed as prices have detached from standard rate of increases. That point is hard to make.

People didn’t really travel a lot via air on a mass level both domestically and internationally into the US until really the 90’s...and the attendance has risen on a pretty standard upward curve since that benchmark.

So is it acceptance of pricing and increased demand? Or ease of access couple with more mainstream spending on longer destination travel?

Just bringing the concept up for discussion.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Where’d you get your stats?

Also...

You realize with the proliferation of the park hopper and after hours parties you are getting the same guest multiple times? So that increase isn’t everything it’s chalked up to be.

Those numbers have never been confirmed...not once

But “supposedly”...they are guessing at “first clicks”...to play devils advocate.

But the rise in attendance is more of an organic growth than “in demand” product...imho

And it’s largely credit fueled...don’t forget.

 

[ChipNDale79]

Take notice? Disney has taken notice and people have made WDW the most popular place in the world.........Attendance is up HUGE since 2002 and here are the stats that prove it

attendance from 2002
1.Magic Kingdom; 14 million
2. Disneyland; 12.7 million
3. Epcot; 8.3 million, down
4. MGM Studios, 8 million, down
5. Animal Kingdom, 7.3 million, down

attendance from 2017:
1. Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom, 20,859,000 up over 43% from 2002
2. Disneyland, 18,666,000, up over 47% from 2002
3. Disney's Animal Kingdom, 13,750,000, up over 88% since 2002
4. Epcot, 12,444,000 up over 49% since 2002
5. Disney's Hollywood Studios, 11,258,000, up 41% since 2002


As you can see, attendance is stronger than ever despite what you are referring to as ridiculous increases...............I'm not saying you have to pay it, but there are plenty of others will........

Sorry, those are the stats.......you dont have to like them, but they are what they are

Easy there big fella. I didnt say anything about attendance being down from 2002.

My point is i think they've hit a bubble, and i could be completely wrong on that. But you start seeing threads like this, Disney even reporting attendance is down in quarter reports, and add that with a new land that has a brand new ride with half the wait time of a 20 year old attraction.

I personally don't think they can continue with the same approach and keep attendance steady.

Calm down.