How many are priced out?

[WondersOfLife]

I know there is a thread on this, but I wanted to see a poll. How many of you guys are priced out? With a platinum annual pass renewal now $1,012 for me... I will not longer be an annual passholder and I will probably join the crew of people that go once every few years, sadly. Like... When I say sadly, I mean really sadly.

Edit -- If the poll does not apply to your situation, then post your own position instead of voting. This isn't hard, people.

 

[eliza61nyc]

We need an "other" choice. lol. is this specifically for AP holders?

I only purchased AP's once when they had a special for dvc members. Right now I'm still good with Disney prices , what will probably get me before price is crowds. I'm another person who would pay a higher premium if it meant lower crowds.
Outside of the cost of the tickets, I haven't incurred the other fees because of my membership. I don't pay to park and the reusable bag thing isn't a big issue for me.

we're skipping this year more, because of the opening of SW:GE

 

[bUU]

The increase wouldn't have affected our approach. It's still less expensive than buying park hoppers and a Disney vacation is still more affordable than most other things we would do instead. As it is, we're "renewing" this coming year switching from a DVC Gold AP to a FL resident Weekday Select pass, so we're actually going to save money, just not as much as originally planned.

 

[PorterRedkey]

I will still go when I want, but a $1,300 pass (with taxes) is worth about 17 days for the days I checked, YMMV. If I plan on 2 10 days trips its worth it, plus you get the discounts.

At the lower price, it was a no brainer to get an AP if I would be visiting the parks 2 times in a year, now not so much.

 

[WondersOfLife]

The options are not very good... I am still able to renew my AP, but likely will not due to the increased number of visits required to break even

So that means you're priced out. Gotcha.

 

[Disstevefan1]

See how you can word questions to get a different answers?

I will renew our family's annuals because at this time I can still afford it.
Is the AP still worth it? To my family, Yes.
Do I feel overall I am losing value in the AP? YES.
Will I get priced out some day? That's a fact, Yes.
Do I think is good business to increase your price 25% overnight with no notice? NO!

As WDW guests and fans, we want to know why our beloved Disney would do this to us?

Folks will come up with all sorts of theories:
Short sighted, money grab to increase shareholder value.
Reduce the number of AP holders.
Reduce crowd levels at WDW (never happen)
Pay for expansions like GE
Do it now so folks will forget it before WDW's 50th celebration starts.

None of our speculations matter. Why would Disney do this? (ALL TOGETHER NOW), because they can, folks just keep coming, my family included....

 

[DuckTalesWooHoo1987]

Hopefully lots and lots and lots and lots of people will be priced out so I can go back to the good old days of being there in May and Sept/Oct and walking right on stuff for the most part. LOL! I keeed...I keeeed... Although I for sure miss those days!

 

[Animaniac93-98]

IMO there's a difference between "I can't afford it" and "I don't want to pay that much".

 

[OneofThree]

I opted out this year. I'll be back when and if something changes with the crowding issues. No, I'm not holding my breath.

 

[SirWillow]

I'm another "other." Living in Missouri, we went for 7 years without visiting WDW (budgets and lots of other options) As things worked out, we were essentially given a gift that covered half the cost of AP's, and knew another visit within 10 months was happening so figured why not? Not the norm by any means.

A Disney vacation has never been "cheap" or "low cost" and the idea that it was always makes me laugh. When I worked there, there were several studies that showed the average family saved over 5 years to go on a Disney vacation. I've heard internal studies have extended that to 6, but the crowds and growing number of passholders would seem to indicate otherwise. In any case, it's been on par cost wise with other grand or expensive vacation spots for several decades now, going back to within 10-15 years after the original park opened.

 

[larryz]

If I couldn't get lodging and ticket discounts, I wouldn't be going.

Fortunately, I qualify for a great discount on both.

 

[Phil12]

If I couldn't get lodging and ticket discounts, I wouldn't be going.

Fortunately, I qualify for a great discount on both.

Ditto. I'm hoping that Star Wars will be a big draw when it opens and takes some of the pressure off the other parks. I have no interest in Star Wars nor do I associate with people that enjoy soap opera science fiction. However I do enjoy seeing the storm troopers harass guests.

 

[networkpro]

Ditto. I'm hoping that Star Wars will be a big draw when it opens and takes some of the pressure off the other parks. I have no interest in Star Wars nor do I associate with people that enjoy soap opera science fiction.

I don't even think it rises to the level of a soap opera or teleanova. It's just fantasy with a different setting. Hades lord of dead, or Darth Vader Sith Lord ? Comically the zelots try to say the other is.more 'fake'

 

[BrerWayne]

I’m kinda like eliza61nyc. I can still afford to go but with the price increases it’s getting uncomfortable and could see myself getting priced out. But the big thing for me is the crowds. To pay all of that money to feel smothered in the Magic Kingdom is just not very enjoyable. Plus, I’ve been going to Disney world since 1975 and IMO the quality has declined. So, I plan to return in 2021 for my 20th trip, but this may be the last.

 

[thomas998]

I will still go when I want, but a $1,300 pass (with taxes) is worth about 17 days for the days I checked, YMMV. If I plan on 2 10 days trips its worth it, plus you get the discounts.

At the lower price, it was a no brainer to get an AP if I would be visiting the parks 2 times in a year, now not so much.

Yes, I think the last time I bought the annual pass it was when it only took 10 days in the park to make it worth it. Never factored in the discounts as you could never depend on them happening. When we would get the annual passes back before maybe 2010 I think we could count on some decent hotel discounts that would often pop up for the AP holders... but by about 2015 those seemed to dry up as they seemed to have plenty of people in the hotels and didn't need to pawn them off on AP'ers.

I probably see more value in a DL AP now than I do in a WDW.... at least at DL when you have an AP you don't get treated like a second class citizen when it comes to the fastpasses.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

While not out for the count I'm doing 10 days there which isn't that bad and with that I'm doing the other half of my trip at Universal & the Sea World Parks......Hey, there's more parks that need some exploring.

 

[bUU]

None of our speculations matter. Why would Disney do this? (ALL TOGETHER NOW), because they can, folks just keep coming, my family included....

None of our speculations matter because we are fans without data and they are professionals with data. Our best access to insights into when Disney has reached the end of the path in terms of big price increases is when they don't have a big price increase. In having a small price increase, Disney would be showing their cards, revealing to us that the market research showed that if they would have another big price increase then they would finally have "priced out" too many families. They'll know long before they get there, because they know so much more about us guests and our purchasing behaviors than we know about ourselves, collectively, and they'll make their decisions based on that knowledge.

 

[Sans Souci]

I am not priced out, but it's no longer worth it to me. It's too crowded for me. I was going to go on a 4 night DCL cruise followed up with a few days at WDW next year. Now, I am going on a 7 night and no WDW. DCL is a much superior product, IMO.

EDIT: I forgot to mention I am an out of state AP holder.

 

[WondersOfLife]

I don't believe the option in the poll was "It is too much for us now." That can imply "I can't afford it" or "It's not worth the money to us." Literally either is fine. So if you chose not to renew your pass due to the price increase, you'd pick the first option. It is not rocket science. You don't have to think to hard about this, guys. If you want to specify why that's what a thread is for.

I'll make it easier.
1). I did not renew my pass due to the increase.
2). I did renew my pass.
3). I renewed before the increase so it doesn't affect me yet.
4). I am not sure if I will renew or not.

Better?

 

[SirWillow]

I don't believe the option in the poll was "It is too much for us now." That can imply "I can't afford it" or "It's not worth the money to us." Literally either is fine. So if you chose not to renew your pass due to the price increase, you'd pick the first option. It is not rocket science. You don't have to think to hard about this, guys. If you want to specify why that's what a thread is for.

I'll make it easier.
1). I did not renew my pass due to the increase.
2). I did renew my pass.
3). I renewed before the increase so it doesn't affect me yet.
4). I am not sure if I will renew or not.

Better?

You still make an assumption that everyone has a pass. And that having a pass is a normal thing. Both are incorrect. There are many here that don't have passes, so there isn't anything for them to renew. And there are some like me that might occasionally have a pass, but that's not normal. On a normal basis, I'd never pay for a pass and only have one because friend footed most of the bill for a one time thing. so the increase has no affect on whether or not I'm renewing.