How far will Disney price gouging go?

[draybook]

I doubt they really care where the guests are coming from; as long as they come. A dollar is a dollar no matter who gives it to you.

I'm not convinced about this concept of discounts for non-domestic markets. At least not in the UK.

Right now we are only offered 2, 7, 14 and 21 day tickets.
Interestingly, they have only recently started offering 2 day tickets here. I presume this is to claw some cash from those making Universal centred vacations and who would not have otherwise paid for a 7 day Disney ticket (or 14, the prices were next to identical).

An adult 7 day ticket is currently £289, but does include hopping and water parks etc. A 14 day ticket is the same price.
£289 currently equates to $433

The closest equivalent US ticket is the 10 day ticket with water park and hopping added. That I believe is $440.

So we are not really getting a better price, just a slightly different deal because people typically come for 7 or 14 days. The incremental price on a US ticket is only a few $ a day.
So giving the few extra days is just offered to keep the guests on-site longer and try to prevent them going to Universal for a few days.

That wasn't my point. My point is that it seems that the "record attendance" is due to Disney having to reach outside of it's domestic population due to pricing issues or whatever have you.

 

[EOD K9]

Somebody brought up expanding the MK. Wasn't the FLE really a redo of 20,000 LutS? Did they actually expand outside the wire or are we just calling it an expansion? An expansion of FLE and not really of MK? Also, can they realistically expand MK?

 

[12_Ears_Dad]

Saw a tweet that bottled water is now $2.75

That actually seems about par for any major theme park.... And as far as price gouging ,Disney is not guilty of this. If you don't want to pay for something don't pay for it. Your willingness is not Disney's fault.

 

[daisyduckie]

I can't help but think it is a bit ridiculous to complain about price gouging at a place that is a total splurge. Plus, one of the only places I can think of that lets you bring in your own water or food. I mean, have you been to a pro sports game of any kind? We even have a local concert where the tickets are free, but don't forget that $60 parking pass. And you can't even bring in your own water.

I can't get on board with the whole Disney price gouging thing.

 

[DVCOwner]

The amount you will collect per room will never increase and your dollars will decrease in value as well. But it's locked in!QUOTE]

I do not understand this comment. Disney does not collect anything per room except on the ones they rent out for cash. This is a time share and Disney makes there money on the up front sale and that is it. By law they can not be making money off the annual dues. They charge the owner what it cost to keep up the units and can also take dues and place them in escrow to pay for upcoming major repairs. The only annual revenue that Disney makes is in selling stuff to the owners when they stay on the parks (tickets, meals, souvenirs, etc.).

 

[DVCOwner]

Future needs are 100% funded by member fees. Nothing from the initial sale is set aside for it

I went back and check my paperwork and this is a fact. All repairs are paid for by the owners annual dues, but Disney does pay their share of dues for the units they own and rent out for cash.

 

[asianway]

I went back and check my paperwork and this is a fact. All repairs are paid for by the owners annual dues, but Disney does pay their share of dues for the units they own and rent out for cash.

That is correct

 

[flynnibus]

Future needs are 100% funded by member fees. Nothing from the initial sale is set aside for it

I believe he is trying to say they would set reserves aside for any future redevelopment of the property.. that would be needed to redevelop the property for future reuse or expansion. I don't buy it... it would be a poor choice of money management... especially given any redevelopment should be funded by the potential new uses.

 

[asianway]

I believe he is trying to say they would set reserves aside for any future redevelopment of the property.. that would be needed to redevelop the property for future reuse or expansion. I don't buy it... it would be a poor choice of money management... especially given any redevelopment should be funded by the potential new uses.

Yeah in that case no as well, once you make some profit, it's Bobs to keep and buy more shares

 

[thomas998]

I'm starting to think that not only are they price gouging but raising the prices for crowd control reasons. After seeing rising attendance it's sickening how there robbing us like this not to mention dumbing the quality of many areas of the parks and shows.

In general "price gouging" happens when something shocks the system of supply and demand, like say a natural disaster results in a loss of water so people selling water raise prices dramatically as a result... It also generally only applies to items for which consumers have no alternatives... again like water in times of a disaster.

Disney isn't engaged in price gouging as it is not temporarily raising prices because some disaster has caused people to need desperately to get into the Magic Kingdom... In fact regardless of how high they raise the price it is never going to be price gouging because Disney isn't a necessity for where their is no substitute.

If you think this is price gouging then what do you call Rolex that is selling a watch that is actually even less accurate than a Timex for 100 times more? Is that gouging? No its just pricing a item based on the market.

 

[jaklgreen]

I don't think they are too bad yet. I will be going in October for 2 weeks. I used points for my flight and I have an annual pass from last year that I will finish up. I got free dining at POR so I will only spend a little over $3000. I don't know where you can go for 2 full weeks and have room and board and entertainment for $3000.

 

[Jay P]

I'm starting to think that not only are they price gouging but raising the prices for crowd control reasons. After seeing rising attendance it's sickening how there robbing us like this not to mention dumbing the quality of many areas of the parks and shows.

Yes, they are taking advantage. As a loyal Disney devotee, it angers me. I’m spending my discretionary income elsewhere, Disney is NOT the only game in town. If enough people vote no with their dollars, Disney’s financial numbers will reflect that and upper management will get the message. I’m a DVC owner. I’m ready to sell that interest, my wife is not. I’m also in a mental/philosophical place where I’ll turn my back on Disney and never return. Nothing they offer me has value commensurate with the cost they’re charging, and nothing they offer is so exceptional that I can’t live without their products. I have no reason, nor the desire, to do business with a company capable of mistreating their loyal customers and employees as they have. We are the same customers, who, by the way, kept them afloat during the lockdown. Iger, and Chapek, made financial decisions that have left Disney no choice but to raise prices and reduce costs wherever possible. This is necessary just to service their debt. They have no choice, BUT WE DO! My advice to everyone is, don’t help them get out of debt. It would serve them right to have to declare bankruptcy, it is what they deserve.

Good riddance to Disney. There is a “Great big beautiful tomorrow”, and there is no Universal requirement that it has to include Disney.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

You just wait folks....It's coming..

 

[DisAl]

I know they will miss our family group of seven like the old "pull you hand out of a bucket of water and see how big a hole you leave" but with prices up, quality down, and value down, we have decided we are not going to Disney in 2023. We will let some other sucker pay premium prices for mediocre experiences.

 

[CntrlFlPete]

Yes, they are taking advantage. As a loyal Disney devotee, it angers me. I’m spending my discretionary income elsewhere, Disney is NOT the only game in town. If enough people vote no with their dollars, Disney’s financial numbers will reflect that and upper management will get the message. I’m a DVC owner. I’m ready to sell that interest, my wife is not. I’m also in a mental/philosophical place where I’ll turn my back on Disney and never return. Nothing they offer me has value commensurate with the cost they’re charging, and nothing they offer is so exceptional that I can’t live without their products. I have no reason, nor the desire, to do business with a company capable of mistreating their loyal customers and employees as they have. We are the same customers, who, by the way, kept them afloat during the lockdown. Iger, and Chapek, made financial decisions that have left Disney no choice but to raise prices and reduce costs wherever possible. This is necessary just to service their debt. They have no choice, BUT WE DO! My advice to everyone is, don’t help them get out of debt. It would serve them right to have to declare bankruptcy, it is what they deserve.

Good riddance to Disney. There is a “Great big beautiful tomorrow”, and there is no Universal requirement that it has to include Disney.

the person you quoted saw (in 2015) what you see today. my family voted with our wallet from 2013 until 2020 (when things changed for me around the 'value' on both ends of our pause, but it does not look like Disney missed us one bit nor has much of their business strategy changed in the last 20 years (save they've stopped buying studios)-- I mean it does seem like the new guy accelerated his need/want for more data -- anyway, for some this is BAU -and has been for a real long time - at least Disney has been able to keep the value of your DVC purchase up, I recall back at the last down turn they were buying points to void under market sales that were hitting the market.

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

Yes, they are taking advantage. As a loyal Disney devotee, it angers me. I’m spending my discretionary income elsewhere, Disney is NOT the only game in town. If enough people vote no with their dollars, Disney’s financial numbers will reflect that and upper management will get the message. I’m a DVC owner. I’m ready to sell that interest, my wife is not. I’m also in a mental/philosophical place where I’ll turn my back on Disney and never return. Nothing they offer me has value commensurate with the cost they’re charging, and nothing they offer is so exceptional that I can’t live without their products. I have no reason, nor the desire, to do business with a company capable of mistreating their loyal customers and employees as they have. We are the same customers, who, by the way, kept them afloat during the lockdown. Iger, and Chapek, made financial decisions that have left Disney no choice but to raise prices and reduce costs wherever possible. This is necessary just to service their debt. They have no choice, BUT WE DO! My advice to everyone is, don’t help them get out of debt. It would serve them right to have to declare bankruptcy, it is what they deserve.

Good riddance to Disney. There is a “Great big beautiful tomorrow”, and there is no Universal requirement that it has to include Disney.

that was once there has been taken away or changed so much it doesn’t even do it for me, that’s before the price tag. I feel like I’m at some overseas knockoff park now.

 

[John park hopper]

I know they will miss our family group of seven like the old "pull you hand out of a bucket of water and see how big a hole you leave" but with prices up, quality down, and value down, we have decided we are not going to Disney in 2023. We will let some other sucker pay premium prices for mediocre experiences.

My final WDW trip was 2019 over crowded, over priced, overly long waits, Disney won't miss us and I won't miss Disney. I have been to WDW at its best

 

[Shiriki_Utundu]

Disney is a company and as such, they want to increase profits

pretty profound; I guess I haven't really thought about it like that before

 

[FettFan]

I would not say Disney is "price gouging", as nothing that Disney sells is absolutely necessary.

Actual price gouging would be things like raising the prices of canned goods or gasoline during a natural disaster, such as when some gas stations on the I-10 Corridor upped their prices $1 per gallon when folks are evacuating a hurricane.
Not sure about other states, but here in Louisiana, we created a law to prevent that from happening; as soon as the governor declares a state of emergency, gasoline and food prices in the affected areas are frozen until the SoE is lifted.


As for the question at hand: Disney will continue to jack up their prices as long as people are willing to pay them.
Some have speculated that the prices should level out soon, as the last round of hikes were in response to the increased demand of a post-Covid lockdown society. I wouldn't count those chickens before they hatch though.

 

[JoeCamel]

I would not say Disney is "price gouging", as nothing that Disney sells is absolutely necessary.

Actual price gouging would be things like raising the prices of canned goods or gasoline during a natural disaster, such as when some gas stations on the I-10 Corridor upped their prices $1 per gallon when folks are evacuating a hurricane.
Not sure about other states, but here in Louisiana, we created a law to prevent that from happening; as soon as the governor declares a state of emergency, gasoline and food prices in the affected areas are frozen until the SoE is lifted.


As for the question at hand: Disney will continue to jack up their prices as long as people are willing to pay them.
Some have speculated that the prices should level out soon, as the last round of hikes were in response to the increased demand of a post-Covid lockdown society. I wouldn't count those chickens before they hatch though.

Not gouging any more than a drug dealer raising their prices due to demand or shortage of product. Just biz