Even still…admission price was never underpriced to any discernible level.
From a practical standpoint? Probably not. They could have crammed more people into the parks. But again, they knew their guest satisfaction numbers were hitting a wall too, and especially at Disneyland, they were very concerned about crowding projections for Star Wars Land.
Every indication we have says that prices would have increased and the APs would have been retooled, even if the pandemic hadn't happened.
but that’s a superficial analysis. The depth is that the gate charge was never designed as a “profit generator”. The prices were carefully crafted to generate profits through the paths of least resistance.
The gate prices was historically set at a balance between maximizing revenue and achieving their attendance goals. I think we all understand that they could have made more money with a higher gate cost, but I think people severely underestimate how much perceived value and satisfaction from the guest side plays into that equation.
Disney's model was to keep the admission prices on the low side, because access to the parks was seen as a motivation to get people to spend at their local Disney store, see Disney movies and buy into the lifestyle. The park experience suffered, but people kept coming and the brand did pretty well ... for YEARS.
The path of least resistance right now, may be going back to that model.
but here’s what the Bobs upset. You can’t make EVERY price a variable for maximum profit. It exposes the scheme in ways your can’t hide from not only the customers subconscious…but their active thoughts in real time. That creates problems.
I disagree. I think there were enough people out there telling Disney through special purchases, that they were willing to pay more for a better experience. Everything from private parties/extra hours and VIP tours. Sure people who can't afford those things will complain that they don't have access, but open access invalidates the experience.
I won't go into the usual rant against capacity being the solution here, but I will point out that you can't keep adding capacity and spending money, in order to chase a lower admission price. If you keep adding to the parks, you have to keep increasing admission to pay for it.
